STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State football team is looking for consecutive victories against Auburn for the first time since it won four straight in the series from 1997-2000.
Last season, MSU won 38-23 in Starkville, so the stage is set for MSU (2-1, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) to accomplish that goal when it takes on Auburn (2-1, 0-1) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2) in Auburn, Alabama.
MSU is coming off a 21-19 loss to LSU two weeks ago, while Auburn dropped a 45-21 decision at LSU last week.
MSU coach Dan Mullen has never won at Jordan-Hare Stadium. MSU’s last victory on the road in the series came in 2007 when Sylvester Croom was still the team’s coach.
Third-year Auburn coach Gus Malzahn is 1-1 against the Bulldogs.
The winner still will have a chance to compete for the SEC Western Division title, while the loser more than likely will be out of the picture.
Here are five things to watch when the teams meet:
1. Will MSU rely on the running game?
Auburn has allowed 810 yards rushing this season, good enough for 270 per game. Opponents also have rushed for nine touchdowns.
Last week, LSU rushed for 411 yards, including 228 (three touchdowns) by Leonard Fournette.
Mullen said the rushing statistics are misleading because it’s early in the season and LSU threw the ball only 17 times.
“We’re going to have to be balanced,” Mullen said. “We’re going to need to make plays and attack because they have a lot of talented players on that defense.”
The Bulldogs have rushed for 523 yards this season (174.3 a game). MSU fell behind LSU early and had to throw the ball.
Junior Ashton Shumpert leads the team with 123 yards rushing, while senior quarterback Dak Prescott has 107. Shumpert has one touchdown to Prescott’s two. Junior running back Brandon Holloway has 92 yards rushing, but he hasn’t rushed for a score.
2. How will Sean White react in his first start?
Malzahn decided Tuesday to replace starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson with backup Sean White, a redshirt freshman, who will make his first start and take his first collegiate snaps.
Johnson struggled in the first three games with five touchdowns and six interceptions.
“You have to do what you feel is best for your team and your offense each week,” Malzahn said. “We have confidence and I am looking forward to seeing Sean. He is a guy that can flat out throw it and he can run it, too. He has the air of confidence that quarterbacks have.”
White, a Boca Raton, Florida, native, passed for 2,679 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior at the University School at Nova South. He was the MVP in the 2014 Under Armour All-American Game.
It’s not the ideal first start in the SEC for White, but Malzahn believes in him. MSU’s defensive front might overwhelm White, as the Tigers’ offensive line has allowed five sacks. The Bulldogs are third in the conference with eight sacks.
3. Will MSU continue to spread the ball around in the passing game?
Thirteen Bulldogs have catches, including seven with touchdowns, this season.
Junior Fred Ross leads the team with 15 catches (fourth in the SEC) for 153 yards, while junior De’Runnya Wilson has 11 catches for 158 yards and one touchdown.
MSU co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales felt good about his group entering this season.
“Looking back at it, it’s all about developing that depth,” Gonzales said. “We’re on pace right now where we need to be.”
No Bulldog has caught more than one touchdown. Junior tight end Gus Walley, sophomore wide receiver Donald Gray, sophomore receiver Gabe Myles, freshman tight end Justin Johnson, junior running back Brandon Holloway, and senior wideout Joe Morrow also have touchdowns.
Against LSU, eight receivers had catches. Ross and Wilson had eight and nine catches, respectively, in the 21-19 loss.
4. Can Auburn convert on third down?
MSU’s defense has been one of the best in the nation when it comes to stopping opponents on third downs.
Opposing offenses have converted 9 of 43 (20.9 percent) third-down opportunities (first in the SEC, 10th nationally). Last week against Northwestern State, MSU allowed one conversion in 13 tries.
“If we can be hard to move the ball on first and second down, we feel very confident about our third-down defense,” MSU defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said.
Auburn’s third-down percentage is 44 percent (14 of 32). Last week at LSU, Auburn was 3 of 10 on third down.
In week two, LSU was 4 of 13 against MSU.
5. Can MSU’s offense keep rolling?
In two of the last four games dating back to last season, the Bulldogs have put up two of the highest offensive totals in school history.
In last year’s Orange Bowl, the Bulldogs had 605 yards of offense. Last week, MSU set the school record with 647 yards against Northwestern State.
Although one of those games was last season and the other came against an inferior opponent, the offense has thrived under Prescott. Only twice have the Bulldogs put up less than 420 yards of total offense with Prescott starts (23 times). Both of those came against SEC opponents — South Carolina in 2013 and LSU this year.
“We are right where we need to be,” Prescott said. “We kept that momentum going from the end of the LSU game last week.”
Auburn’s defense is allowing 442.7 yards per game, so MSU should have an easy time of moving the ball.
Calhoun named semifinalist for Campbell Trophy
Recognizing one of the most impressive groups of scholar-athletes in the history of college football, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) named MSU senior cornerback Taveze Calhoun a semifinalist Thursday for the 2015 William V. Campbell Trophy. The honor recognizes the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.
Calhoun graduated this past spring with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, earning a 3.51 GPA in the process. The three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member is currently working toward his master’s degree in teaching with a focus in nutrition.
“Football is not forever,” Calhoun said. “You have to make the best of your opportunities. I do not want to be the guy to come back and say, ‘I wish I would have done this.’ I want to give 100 percent in everything I do at MSU, because it is limited.”
The Morton native has spent time volunteering with the Salvation Army, Starkville Manor Nursing Home, Oktibbeha County Humane Society, and Deuce McAllister’s Catch 22 Foundation. He also provided tornado relief to people of Louisville. In addition to a great deal of community service, Calhoun is serving as a team captain for the Bulldogs this season. He has played in 40 games (26 starts).
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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