Bulldogs to Dance With the Sun Devils Under a Hot Moonlight
Mississippi State hits the road to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils. This game will be more challenging as both teams routed their week one opponents. The big difference is that Arizona State thoroughly defeated a fellow FBS opponent, Wyoming, 48-7. This is the first-ever contest between the two schools on the gridiron. For the Bulldogs to escape with a win, there must be no double-takes on the set. I will discuss Arizona State and how Mississippi State can return to Starkville with the win. Kickoff is at 9:30 PM Pacific time, with temperatures above 100 degrees. If you play EA Sports College Football, some fans have run simulations of the game, and this one results in Mississippi State heading back to Starkville with a win. If you are a fan of The Batman movie, my title is a play on what the Joker/Jack Napier said to Bruce Wayne twice.
Contain Sam Leavitt and the Sun Devil offense
Sam Leavitt and many talented skill players lead Arizona State’s Offense. Leavitt, a red-shirt Freshman transfer from Michigan State, made his first start for the Sun Devils and threw for 247 yards with two touchdowns, adding 47 yards on the ground. If those numbers look familiar, they mirror Blake Shapen’s numbers from last week. This means the Bulldog defense must contain Leavitt in the air and on the ground. The defense only put up two sacks against Eastern Kentucky, which will have to increase to force Leavitt into mistakes.
The Sun Devil offense attacked Wyoming with a balanced rushing and passing attack. The Sun Devils use a committee approach in the backfield. Cam Skattlebro led the rushers with eleven carries for 49 yards and a touchdown, then DeCarlos Brooks with six carries for 47 yards and a touchdown. Leavitt spread the ball to seven receivers, but the lightning rod was Tupelo, Mississippi native Kyson Brown. Brown had the longest night reception with a 68-yard catch and run for a score. Check out this article about Brown and his ties to our state. Other receivers the Bulldog secondary will have to contend with are Jordan Tyson, Jake Smith, and Chamon Meteyer.
The Sun Devil Defense has some Playmakers
The Sun Devil defense held Wyoming to a measly seven points last week. I can promise that their night will be more challenging with Mississippi State on the field. Wyoming did not present the challenge that the Bulldog offense will show, but the Sun Devil defense has some playmakers. Arizona State held Wyoming to 40 yards rushing on 31 carries. That means this defense swarms, and the leading tacklers were Keyshawn Elliot, Myles Rowser, and K’Vion Thunderbird. Arizona State also racked up three sacks, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery. The defense also scored two touchdowns on the fumble recovery by Justin Wodtly and a pick-six by Zyrus Fiaseu.
Kenny Dillingham is an excellent young coach.
Kenny Dillingham is a Sun Devil alumnus in his second year. The Sun Devils posted a 4-9 record in his first season. Dillingham honed his skills by making several stops at FBS programs: Oregon, Auburn, Florida State, and Memphis, where he served as the offensive coordinator. A win versus an SEC team would do well for his resume in year two. Dillingham has a similar ascent to the head coaching ranks of Jeff Lebby. This, no doubt, will create respect between the young head coaches as both look to start the season 2-0.
Path to a Win in Act II
If Mississippi State wants to leave Tempe with the victory, the Bulldog offense must take care of the ball and execute. I would like to see Lebby establish the run more versus Arizona State. The Bulldogs have playmakers up and down the roster, but wearing down the Sun Devil defense is key for me. As I stated above, they have playmakers and cannot keep the Bulldog running game in check. We know Shapen will throw it a bunch, but Davon Booth and Keyvone Lee must carry the load offensively.
Defensive Boss Coleman Hutzler has to devise a game plan to limit Leavitt’s ability to find open receivers and his scrambling. I want to see constant pressure and more sacks from the defense. The Bulldog secondary is young, but the talent and effort are there. I did predict our Bulldogs would leave Tempe with the win. I can only hope that all Bulldog fan’s wishes come true after Saturday night.
