JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Mississippi State football team”s offense has earned a reputation for controlling the clock and running the football.
On Saturday, No. 21 MSU proved it could dismantle a defense in multiple ways and put up monster numbers on a big stage, racking up 485 yards in a 52-14 rout of the University of Michigan in the Progressive Gator Bowl.
MSU quarterback Chris Relf — wearing former teammate Nick Bell”s No. 36 — was named MVP of the game after completing 18 of 23 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns. He added 30 rushing yards and turned in a flawless day leading the offense. His lone turnover was an interception on a Hail Mary play to end the first half.
“(Relf) did a great job of managing the game,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said. “I think you saw the maturity Chris has starting to come along by managing the game.”
Relf had three first-half scores, including touchdown passes to Ricco Sanders and Arceto Clark.
Relf”s development in the passing game saw him clear 200 passing yards for the third straight game. He became the first MSU quarterback to pass for more than 200 yards in a bowl game since Greg Plump threw for 287 in the 1993 Peach Bowl.
The 38-point margin of victory was MSU”s largest in a bowl game. It surpassed the 10-point cushions MSU had against Clemson (17-7) on Dec. 30, 1999, in the Peach Bowl and against Kansas (10-0) on Dec. 31, 1981, in the Hall of Fame Bowl.
Despite being without leading wide receiver Chad Bumphis, players knew Relf was primed for a big game.
“Chris was on today,” said wide receiver Michael Carr, who scored his first career touchdown on a pass from Relf. “He was on all week as a player. He was ready, he was focused. He”s a hard worker and a leader of this team. I thank God for Chris Relf.”
Running back LaDarius Perkins (119 total yards of offense) was on the receiving end of MSU”s longest offensive play of the year, an 81-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter.
The play came on a check-down after Relf”s first read down the field was taken away. Much like he”d done for most of the game, he bought time by stepping up in the pocket and continuing through his reads. He dumped off to Perkins, who had his second straight game with a reception of 70 yards or more.
“Relf was money all day,” Perkins said. “And he was reading the coverages well, too. He just made all-around good plays today.”
After trailing 14-10 entering the second quarter, MSU (9-4) exploded for 21 second-quarter points and made easy work of a young Michigan defense that saw its share of trying Saturdays this season.
The only difference for the Wolverines” defense was its offense was usually there to bail it out.
Initially, it looked like the Wolverines (7-6) and quarterback Denard Robinson would continue their high-scoring ways after scoring touchdowns on two of their first three possessions.
Robinson was 7 of 7 on both drives and threw a pair of touchdown passes to Roy Roundtree and Martavious Adams.
But at either side of those scoring drives was a blocked punt by MSU”s Marvin Bure and an interception by Johnthan Banks, who”d been burned on two deep passes in the first quarter.
Michigan”s offense wasn”t the same for the rest of the game.
“I don”t think it was anything special (MSU) did,” Robinson said. “We just didn”t execute. We had dropped passes, bad throws, and missed blocks.”
Robinson, who this season became the first Football Bowl Subdivision quarterback to run for 1,500 yards and pass for 2,000, was held to a season-low 59 rushing yards, Most of the yards came on runs of 22 and 24 yards in the first quarter. Robinson was 27 of 41 for 254 passing yards.
MSU defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said the Bulldogs didn”t do anything fancy. His scheme of keeping safety Charles Mitchell to one side of the field and linebacker Emmanuel Gatling to the other allowed linebackers K.J. Wright and Chris White to run sideline to sideline.
“They locked in on a key, and (Wright and White) were full-flow guys the entire game,” Diaz said. “We sort of knew going in this was about a linebacker-friendly game plan to stop a run game as I”d ever seen, so I expected them to play well. When they run that takes the double teams off (Fletcher) Cox, (Josh) Boyd and those guys on the inside.”
Michigan lost what little momentum left to seize at the beginning of the third quarter. The Wolverines forced a sack and fumble of Chris Relf, which he recovered, and got a 38-yard punt return from Junior Hemingway to set up shop at the MSU 23. However, the Wolverines went three-and-out and missed a 35-yard field goal.
MSU responded as Vick Ballard capped a 14-play, 80-yard scoring drive with a 1-yard run. Ballard, who had three scores, extended the MSU single-season rushing record with 19 touchdowns. His touchdowns also is a MSU record.
“We went out ready to play, but I don”t know what happened,” Michigan receiver Martavious Odoms said. “We played hard. They made plays and we didn”t answer.”
Speculation of Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez”s job status will gain more fire after the worst bowl loss in school history. The third-year coach has just one winning season under his belt at the school.
Despite media speculation and no public backing from athletic director Dave Brandon that he”ll return next season, Rodriguez said the uncertainty didn”t affect the players.
“I never talked to the players about it, but yeah, it was the elephant in the room,” Rodriguez said.
When asked if he thought he would return next season, Rodriguez replied, “I”m the wrong guy to ask that.”
MSU”s 9-4 record is its best finish since 1999, when it won the Peach Bowl and finished 10-2. MSU will finish the season nationally ranked for the first time since 2000.
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