Oh boy, here we go! SEC football returns to thursday night when the up and coming Mississippi State bulldogs welcome the bayou bengals of LSU. This will be the home opener for MSU and one that the fans have had circled for quite some time. After enjoying an overwhelming crowd advantage in Dallas against Oregon, this will be LSU's first true road game of the year in front of a packed house in Starkville under the bright lights of national television.
Dan Mullen has brought life back to the MSU program and after an impressive season last year and a huge bowl win against Michigan, this game has been circled for quite some time. MSU has lost 11 straight games in this annual matchup and will look to snap that streak this year. Coming into the season, MSU looked to be a player in the SEC West race but after last weeks loss to Auburn, this game is a must win if they want to remain relevant in the chase for Atlanta. LSU remembers their last trip to Starkville, a 4 point win that took a goal line stand as time expired to leave with the victory. LSU nation hopes to ride the momentum of their win against Oregon and not find themselves in the same spot this year as they attempt to find their way back to New Orleans in January and the familar confines of the Super Dome. A place where they have won 2 BCS National Championships the last 2 times the crescent city has hosted the big game. Can they make it 3 in a row? This game will go a long way in determining their fate.
The MSU offense is centered around the rushing attack of QB Chris Relf and RB Vick Ballard. Both are big and both run downhill with bad intentions. They combined for 241 yards rushing last week against Auburn and MSU rushed for 333 yards on 63 attempts as a team. The MSU offense contains several other playmakers, most notably wideout Chad Bumphis but also change of pace speed back Ladarius Perkins. The MSU offense took a hit last week when starting left tackle James Carmon went down with a leg injury. The MSU offense is a run 1st, pass 2nd scheme. They use an option package similar to what you saw Florida run with Tebow when Mullen was Urban Myers OC.
The MSU defense is anchored by DT Fletcher Cox and LB Cameron Lawrence who had a huge game against Auburn. This unit will look to rebound after surrendering 41 points last week, although they were often playing with a short field as Auburn only had 381 total yards. Auburn did avg 6.5 yards per carry, a number MSU will have to improve on to be competitive this week.
The majority of people are familar with the LSU team after the in-depth look they received leading up to their matchup with Oregon. They run a balanced attack on offense, running to setup the pass and their defense, as usual, is lights out. They held the high octane Oregon rushing attack to 95 yards on 28 carries for an average of 3.4 yards per carry. Led by Senior quarterback Jarrett Lee and the backfield combo of Spencer Ware and Michael Ford, the LSU offense runs a pro attack that looks to control the clock and keep their defense off the field and fresh. However, they are not short of playmakers at the wideout position, lead by Rueben Randle.
The bulldog nation is looking to rebound from the sting they felt all week after the devastating loss at Auburn. On a short week, having to turnaround and play one of the top teams in the land will not be an easy task. When trailing by 14 points in the 4th quarter last week, instead of airing it out, MSU ran 2 plays. Over and over again, daring Auburn to stop them. They couldnt. Except for the last time on the 2" line. Option right/left and QB draw is what got MSU back in the game. They physically forced themselves down the field and gave themselves a shot to win. I dont think this week its going to be that easy. When your offense is based on the run, you are playing into the teeth of the LSU defense. MSU showed last week they have trouble stopping the run and if the MSU can not get momentum early and keep their defense off the field, they will be in for a long night. LSU played Northwestern State last week so they are well rested and will be well prepared. I think the game will be close for 2 to 3 quarters but in the end, the team with the far superior talent and depth will pull away and show why they have won 11 straight games in this matchup and ranked #2 in the country.
I'm on LSU
LSU 38 MSU 18
Good Luck!
, because it already looks good! Excited to read and im on LSU as well
i did go back and forth on it though IC a close game and think 2 may points. BOL 1 of us will win 
Brothers
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