Blitz Players of the Week
After each win, BulldogBlitz recognizes several players that had outstanding performances that played a major role in Mississippi State's win.
Go inside to see who publisher Logan Lowery chose as the offensive, defensive, special teams, freshman and coach of the week were.
Advertisement
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Running back LaDarius Perkins
Redshirt Freshman * 5-10 * 190 * Greenville, Miss.
Rushing: 13 carries for 98 yards Receiving: three catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns Kickoff Return: four returns for 65 yards Punt Return: one return for 16 yards.
Logan's take: Perkins had a breakout game against UAB earlier in the year but nothing like what I saw Saturday night. Ole Miss had a good game plan of stopping Chris Relf and Vick Ballard on the read option but they simply had no answer for Perkins. He can truly fly and is possibly the most explosive players on the Bulldogs roster in space. A game like he had against the Rebels will hopefully give him the same type of confidence that Relf gained from the 2009 Egg Bowl.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Linebacker K.J. Wright
Senior * 6-4 * 250 * Olive Branch, Miss.
Defense: Nine tackles (six solo, three assists), two tackles for loss, two sacks and a pass breakup.
Logan's take: Wright had been solid all season long and Saturday's game was no different. He did a nice job of keeping everything in front of him and also got pressure on Jeremiah Masoli as well. He and the rest of the front seven did a superb job of keeping the Rebels run game in check and never allowed a run longer than 16 yards on the night. Wright is an all-around linebacker who is just as good in pass coverage as he is in run support.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Linebacker Deontae Skinner
Redshirt Freshman * 6-2 * 235 * Macon, Miss.
Special Teams: two tackles
Logan's take: There were a lot of big plays on special teams including Damein Anderson and Marvin Bure combining to force a fumble on the punt team. But what impressed me the most were the two tackles Skinner made on the kickoff team. With so many upperclassmen ahead of him at linebacker his chances on defense have been slim this season but he made his presence felt on the opening kickoff. Just as Jesse Grandy reached full speed and the Rebel fans rose to their feet, Skinner met him head on and folded him up backwards. Skinner told me a few weeks ago he almost made a mistake and went to Ole Miss during his recruitment so I'm sure that tackle meant a lot to him.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK:
Running back LaDarius Perkins
Redshirt Freshman * 5-10 * 190 * Greenville, Miss.
Rushing: 13 carries for 98 yards Receiving: three catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns Kickoff Return: four returns for 65 yards Punt Return: one return for 16 yards.
Logan's take: Perkins had a breakout game against UAB earlier in the year but nothing like what I saw Saturday night. Ole Miss had a good game plan of stopping Chris Relf and Vick Ballard on the read option but they simply had no answer for Perkins. He can truly fly and is possibly the most explosive players on the Bulldogs roster in space. A game like he had against the Rebels will hopefully give him the same type of confidence that Relf gained from the 2009 Egg Bowl.
COACH OF THE WEEK:
Head coach and special teams coordinator Dan Mullen
Logan's take: Mullen deserves a lot of credit for rekindling the Egg Bowl rivalry. Over the past two seasons his verbal shots at 'the school up north' put him into the role of a villain at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and he did not back down. He and his coaching staff executed an incredible game plan to exploit Ole Miss' weaknesses and claimed the Golden Egg Trophy for the second straight year. He has not only revitalized the instate rivalry but the Bulldog program and fan base as well. He has turned the program around in 23 months and definitely has it going in the right direction.