Mississippi State Bulldogs
Overall Rank: #20
#6 SEC
Mississippi State Team Page
2010 Record: (9-4, 4-4)
2010 Bowl: Gator Bowl vs. Michigan (W 52-14)
Coach: Dan Mullen (14-11 at Mississippi State, 14-11 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Les Koenning
Defensive Coordinator: Geoff Collins and Chris Wilson
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Vick Ballard, RB, 968 yards
Passing: Chris Relf, QB, 1,789 yards
Receiving: Chad Bumphis, WR, 634 yards
Tackles: Charles Mitchell, S, 93
Sacks: Josh Boyd, DT, 2.5; Fletcher Cox, DT, 2.5
Interceptions: Johnthan Banks, CB, 3; Corey Broomfield, CB, 3; Nickoe Whitley, S, 3
Other Key Returnees: WR Arceto Clark, DE Sean Ferguson G Gabe Jackson, OT Addison Lawrence, G Quentin Saulsberry, WR Chris Smith
Key Losses: C J.C. Brignone, LB Emmanuel Gatling, TE Brandon Henderson, DE Pernell McPhee, OT Derek Sherrod, LB Chris White, LB K.J. Wright
Mississippi State had a great season under second year coach Dan Mullen. The Bulldogs capped off their 9-4 campaign with a whooping of Michigan in the Gator Bowl by a score of 52-14. While that game had more to say about the Wolverines defense than it did the Bulldogs offense, it was still a nice way to end the season. Now Mississippi State will have to get rid of their underdog label and start looking for better things. But if the goal is really to win the SEC West, this team is still a huge underdog.
Strengths:
As long as the ball is on the ground, Mississippi State is pretty good. The Bulldogs return about everybody who carried the ball a year ago, including Vick Ballard. Ballard rushed for 968 yards and 19 touchdowns. The difference between this Mississippi State and those of the past is that this team can get the ball into the end zone and Ballard is to thank for that. LaDarius Perkins is a shiftier back who carried the ball 101 times for 566 yards as a freshman and could play a bigger role this time around. Even a player like Robert Elliott is more than capable of getting five to ten carries a game if needed. The player who ran the most on the team was actually quarterback Chris Relf. The scrambling signal caller tucked the ball down 194 times and tallied 880 rushing yards. The offensive line returns three starters, including senior center Quentin Saulsberry. The big issue will be replacing left tackle Derek Sherrod. Senior James Cameron, a converted defensive tackle and redshirt freshman Blaien Clausell will have to fill that role and they better be able to protect Relf’s blindside. On the other side of the ball the defensive line may be the strength of the defense. Despite the loss of Pernell McPhee, this is a very, very experienced line. Tackles Josh Boyd and Fletcher Cox are back after starting as sophomores in the middle of the line. Sean Ferguson is the experienced end, but he will have to step up his production. Trevor Stigers, Corvell Harrison-Gay, Shane McCardell and Kaleb Eulls should provide Coach Mullen enough options to find a decent replacement for McPhee.
Weaknesses:
The rushing defense may not be as solid this year with the absence of all three linebackers. Boyd and Cox will stuff plenty of rushers at the line, but losing Chris White and K.J. Wright is huge. Those two not only led the team in tackles, but also in sacks. All eyes will be on Brandon Maye, a senior transfer from Clemson, as he tries to man the middle of the defense. However, on both flanks there will be inexperience. The secondary has reason to be optimistic. The pass defense was pretty bad last year. And in a conference where running is usually option one, giving up nearly 238 yards per game through the air is not acceptable. Strong safety Charles Mitchell leads the unit and fellow safety Nickoe Whitley is a young player who could make big strides this season. Corners Johnthan Banks and Corey Broomfield will not garner a ton of national attention, but they are pretty good players who could help turn around the pass defense.
The Bottom Line:
The success of Mississippi State likely rests on the shoulders of Relf. The dual-threat quarterback threw for 1,789 yards and 13 touchdowns a year ago. With a great receiver in Chad Bumphis on the team, the Bulldogs need to throw a little more. Bumphis caught 44 passes for 634 yards and five touchdowns a year ago, but he is a much better receiver than those numbers indicate. If Arceto Clark or Ricco Sanders can emerge as a quality secondary receiver, Bumphis will get more open looks, but Relf still has to get him the ball.
Projected Bowl: Chick-Fil-A Bowl
2010 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 214.85 (16th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Passing Offense: 186.46 (86, 9)
Total Offense: 401.31 (42, 5)
Scoring Offense: 29.00 (48, 10)
Rushing Defense: 119.08 (15, 4)
Pass Defense: 237.77 (91, 9)
Total Defense: 356.85 (49, 8)
Scoring Defense: 19.85 (21, 3)
Turnover Margin: .54 (27, 4)
Sacks: 2.00 (61, 7)
Sacks Allowed: 1.77 (52, 4)
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