STARKVILLE — Mississippi State is badly in need of a win.
Following a season-opening victory over then-No. 6 LSU, MSU has been in a free fall amid its four-game losing streak. Saturday, head coach Mike Leach and co. welcome Vanderbilt (0-4) to Starkville in a contest of the Southeastern Conference’s two worst teams at present.
Here are three matchups to watch:
Whoever MSU starts at quarterback vs. Vanderbilt secondary
I’m no doctor, but the hit K.J. Costello took during Saturday’s 41-0 dismantling by No. 2 Alabama looked bad.
After Costello didn’t return in Tuscaloosa, Leach said Monday during his weekly press conference that the team would continue to monitor his health this week.
That said, whether it’s Costello or freshman Will Rogers, the Bulldogs will be facing a Commodores pass defense that has been porous through four games this year. Entering Saturday, Vanderbilt currently ranks 11th in the SEC and No. 88 nationally in pass defense, allowing just under 300 yards per game.
It’s well documented that MSU has struggled to throw the ball. Losing playmaking receiver Tyrell Shavers and star running back Kylin Hill, neither of whom is still on the team for varying reasons, won’t help that cause either.
In the Alabama loss, the Bulldogs’ 146 passing yards marked the worst output of any Leach-coached team and marked the fourth-straight game in which their passing total dipped from the previous outing.
If the Bulldogs hope to bounce back at all this season, it will have to start in the passing game Saturday against Vanderbilt.
MSU offensive line vs. Vanderbilt defensive line
It’s no secret MSU’s offensive line has performed poorly — like, really poorly.
As I wrote earlier this week, the Bulldogs’ interior has seen most of its problems arise in passing situations, which, for a team that has thrice thrown 60 or more passes in a game, isn’t ideal.
MSU currently ranks as the third-worst pass blocking team in Power Five football and even posted a historically bad 8.9 grade out of 100 pass blocking grade against LSU according to Pro Football Focus.
This issue has also helped explain some of the issues at quarterback this fall. Costello, who’s received the bulk of snaps under center this year, ranked No. 8 nationally in the total number of dropbacks when under pressure this year according to PFF, despite having been benched twice and being injured against Alabama.
He also currently sits 10th in the country among quarterbacks who’ve received 50 percent or more of their team’s snaps in the percentage of dropbacks when under pressure at 35.9 percent.
Conversely, for as bad as Vanderbilt has been this season, its pass rush has been solid. The Commodores currently rank No. 49 nationally in pass rush grades according to PFF, though they do sit last in the SEC in both tackles for a loss and sacks.
Leach has harped that MSU’s quarterbacks need more time to throw. If the Bulldog offensive line could afford just a smidge more time, that might go a long way not only Saturday but through the back half of the schedule.
Both teams vs. the SEC basement
It doesn’t take a genius, or a sportswriter for that matter, to tell you Saturday is a matchup of two bad teams.
Entering this week, MSU and Vanderbilt each occupy the bottom rung of the SEC West and East, respectively, and the conference did most everyone a favor and flexed this game from the 3 p.m. time slot to the 2:30 p.m. game on the SEC Network.
I’ll concede these two teams are in different places as Leach is heading toward the tail end of his first year in Starkville and Derek Mason might be on his way out at the end of this, his seventh year, in Nashville. But for a pair of programs that are mostly looking for bowl eligibility year to year, a loss one way or the other would be a bad look for either coach.
This isn’t to say Leach will all of a sudden be fired should MSU lose this game, but his Year Two seat may be a whole lot hotter as there’s not necessarily another game on the schedule the Bulldogs should be confident in winning if they drop Saturday’s battle for SEC Toilet Bowl supremacy.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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