STARKVILLE — There is still a lingering weight of dread in Bulldog nation after Mississippi State’s collapse at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday. Several moments and mistakes led to a 24-point fourth quarter as the Longhorns came from behind to force, and win, an overtime affair.
The Bulldogs, now 4-4 on the season and 0-4 in SEC play, were not without their bright spots on the day. There was a reason they led by 17 twice in the fourth quarter, but there is also quite a bit to read into with a longer look at the statsheet.
Standout Stat: Texas yards per play
Through 3 quarters – 4.2 yards/play
4th quarter – 7.5 yards/play
The Bulldogs were rolling going into the final frame of action, and it was mostly because of the defensive display. The Longhorns offense had amassed just 218 total yards through three quarters of play. They were 4-14 on third downs against the Bulldogs, and Arch Manning was struggling to find consistency. He had been sacked four times and picked off once by Kelley Jones, and suddenly faced desperation at the start of the fourth quarter.
In their desperation, the Longhorns offense found hope.
Manning and the passing attack nearly doubled their offensive output in just three drives in the fourth quarter. They produced 169 yards through the air and 180 total yards of offense, converting four-of-six third downs and averaging 7.5 yards per play. The quarterback was 12-20 passing with two touchdowns to kickstart the comeback, and moved with the pace his team demanded to pull off such a comeback.
Standout Stat: MSU 4th quarter rushing yards – -5 yards
That’s right. The Bulldogs ran 16 plays in the fourth quarter in which they twice held a 17-point lead, and accumulated -5 rushing yards with sacks accounted for. The Longhorns got to Shapen three times in the final frame, meaning a significant negative yardage to account for, but also an indicator that the Bulldogs were dropping back more than they were taking to the ground game.
The Bulldogs had just 63 rushing yards total after lost yardage on sacks, but Davon Booth was shining in his role. He averaged 4.1 yards per carry and produced 99 yards on 24 attempts. Going away from the run when it’s time to kill the clock was partly due to the urgency provided by Texas touchdowns, but in a situation where the clock needs to run out, negative passing plays are not a pathway to success.
Kelley Jones: 2 pass breakups, 1 INT
Once again, Kelley Jones was tested by the opposition, and once again the opposition wound up going away from Kelley Jones.
The veteran corner has become a standout player in the MSU defense, fueling the secondary with reliable one-on-one coverage and the sort of vision and length to break up shots to some of the best receivers in the country.
Jones recorded three tackles as well, including two solo tackles, but his biggest play was the pick.
With the game tied 14-14, the Texas defense had just forced a stop to try and take the lead in the final stages of the first half. Manning looked for all of it on one play, heaving a ball for Parker Livingstone in double coverage that Jones snagged and took the other way.
It was the first big momentum shift as MSU went on to score 10 points before halftime, and helped put them in a great position to go and win the game.
Blake Shapen: 26-42 for 381 yards and 4 TDs
Shapen was the subject of boos from the student section early on in the game, likely leftover frustration from the end of the Florida game as well as the early incompletions on back-to-back three-and-out drives to open proceedings.
Despite a slow start, Shapen was starting what would be his most productive game as a Bulldog.
Shapen posted a career-high 381 yards through the air and equaled his previous best of four touchdowns. He hit on some big plays, but for the most part the deep ball was taken away. The offense worked on finding space in the intermediate and short passing game, and Shapen found his guys in space to rack up 242 yards after the catch.
The incompletions piled up a bit, but there were also five drops across four MSU receivers to account for.
Shapen continues to fulfill his duties as a quarterback in taking his share of the blame for defeats, for not getting the ball out quickly or taking sacks and for dead-on-arrival drives, but the production is there on his part. He has shown that he can lead this offense.
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