No. 24 Mizzou visits 3-0 Mississippi State tonight in its SEC opener. The Tigers’ defense faces a Bulldogs offense averaging 47 points per game, while Mizzou’s passing attack looks to recover from 91 passing yards against Troy and its run game faces an SEC defensive front.
Mississippi State’s wide receiver splits stretch the defense across the field, forcing Mizzou to balance pressure against one-on-one coverage. Coach Eli Drinkwitz said the Bulldogs’ receivers’ speed and route-running make that difficult. Mizzou also needs stronger tackling after missing more tackles against Troy; Drinkwitz cited coverage errors on the Trojans’ final long touchdown and said the Tigers needed a better call or deep safety help.
Mississippi State running back Fluff Bothwell has forced 12 missed tackles and averages four yards after contact; quarterback Kamario Taylor averages 4.19 yards after contact. Mizzou’s passing game struggled against Troy after stronger first two weeks, while Jamal Roberts averaged 5.8 yards per carry in a run-game improvement. Mississippi State allowed 149 rushing yards to South Carolina and 138 to UL-Monroe, so the game will test whether Mizzou’s progress on the ground can continue.
