The #24 Mississippi State Bulldogs are set to travel east on Highway 82 to Tuscaloosa to take on the #6 Alabama Crimson Tide tomorrow at 6 p.m.
It's a matchup that hasn't been friendly for Mississippi State as the Bulldogs have not taken down the Tide since Nick Saban's debut season in 2007. Mike Leach's Bulldogs have struggled against the Tide in his first two seasons, having been outscored 90-9 and have yet to score a touchdown.
With Alabama coming off a 52-49 loss to Tennessee last week it will present an even greater challenge for Mississippi State, as Alabama has won nine of their last ten coming off a regular season loss. The Bulldogs have seen those angry Tide teams in recent years as they faced Alabama in 2019 off their loss to LSU and last year after their loss to Texas A&M, and the Tide came out on top by more than 30 points in each matchup.
Mississippi State comes into this one as a 21-point underdog at BetMGM Sportsbook, and they'll need to play a complete game to pull a major upset on the road.
1) Keep Rogers Upright
Last year's matchup was just plain ugly. The Alabama defense sacked Will Rogers seven times, and All-American defensive end Will Anderson Jr. feasted on the Bulldog offensive line picking up four of those sacks.
The Bulldog offensive line might have had their worst game of the season last week, and though Rogers was only sacked once, he had little time to find an open target downfield. Mississippi State will have to do a better job of picking up the pressure and blocking up front, and it could be more difficult with starting center LaQuinston Sharp doubtful in this one after he left last week's game at Kentucky with an injury.
Mississippi State deterred away from the run last week, as Dillon Johnson and Jo'quavious Marks only totaled seven combined carries for 30 yards. Johnson could be out this week after getting banged up in last week's game, but the Bulldogs should still try to establish the run with Marks and Simeon Price more to neutralize some of Alabama's pass rush, especially when they go into their "Cheetah Package" which utilizes three defensive ends aiming to rush the QB.
2) Put Pressure on Young
Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young is among the best in college football at navigating the pocket and finding an open pan. He's as patient as anyone and doesn't force a scramble if he doesn't have to, so if the Bulldogs give him a clean pocket, the projected first round draft pick will carve them apart.
Alabama's receiving talent isn't as dynamic as it's been the past few seasons with guys like DeVonta Smith and Jameson Williams, and the Bulldogs should trust AP midseason All-American Emmanuel Forbes Jr. to lock down a third of the field, so Zach Arnett should play one of his most aggressive games, sending linebackers Tyrus Wheat and Bookie Watson on blitzes frequently. If those two can create some havoc by picking up some sacks or forcing some bad throws, the Bulldogs will have a chance to stay in the game.
3) Contain Gibbs
Mississippi State really struggled against the run last week as Chris Rodriguez went off for 196 rushing yards, and they'll be going up against one of the nation's top runners this week in Georgia Tech transfer Jahmyr Gibbs.
The junior has been the Tide's go-to playmaker on offense, and he's essentially an Alvin Kamara clone with his ability to make people miss and catch the ball out of the backfield. Gibbs has rushed for over 100 yards in each of Alabama's last three game, but he's even more difficult to account for when you include the fact that he's also third on the team in receiving yards with 268 receiving yards and leads the team in receptions.
As aggressive the Bulldog pass rush will have to be, it may be difficult to keep Gibbs in front of them. The Mississippi State defense is going to have to play smart because if they take a wrong angle and Gibbs gets by them, he could be gone for six.
