STARKVILLE — Bowling Green has 18 wins all time against current Power Five teams, including four combined over Southeastern Conference schools Missouri and Kentucky.
Mississippi State doesn’t want to be the next name on the Falcons’ hit list.
At 11 a.m. Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium, MSU (2-1) hosts Bowling Green (1-2), an opponent the Bulldogs know they can’t afford to overlook.
“These guys aren’t going to come in here and be intimidated by the environment or anything else or the logo on the helmet,” Mississippi State linebackers coach Matt Brock said.
Brock knows that. He spent two seasons — 2016 and 2017 — at Bowling Green, and while the Falcons went 0-3 against Power Five teams (all from the Big Ten) during his tenure, they have a history of beating big schools.
Not just an ancient history, either.
Bowling Green went into Minneapolis last season and knocked off Minnesota 14-10 on Sept. 25. A little less than a year later, the Falcons are riding high into Starkville on the strength of another big win.
They edged Marshall 34-31 in overtime just seven days after the Thundering Herd took down perennial power Notre Dame on the road.
“Marshall was the toast of college football a week and a half ago after coming off beating Notre Dame in South Bend,” Mississippi State defensive coordinator Zach Arnett said Wednesday.
Thanks to Bowling Green, that’s no longer the case.
The Falcons are experienced and battle tested. The SEC isn’t new to them: They opened last season at Neyland Stadium in a 38-6 loss to Tennessee. Bowling Green even came to Starkville back in 2013, keeping its game with the Bulldogs within a single point.
“They’re no stranger to playing in SEC venues or against so-called ‘bigger schools’ and what’s supposed to be superior competition,” Arnett said. “They laugh at all that. They obviously are a really well-coached team and have enough players, and it’ll be quite the challenge for us.”
Despite the veteran group, Bowling Green doesn’t pose the talent of a team like LSU — Mississippi State’s most recent opponent — or Texas A&M, the next program on the Bulldogs’ schedule after the Falcons visit town.
But an early respite from the SEC grind doesn’t mean MSU can treat Bowling Green like an extra open date.
“I don’t view anything as breaks,” head coach Mike Leach said Monday. “We’ve identified a lot to improve on from the film of last game, and we can get a week better this week.”
After a major meltdown in Baton Rouge, the Bulldogs could use that.
Up 13-0 late in the second quarter at Tiger Stadium, Mississippi State was outscored 31-3 the rest of the way. LSU scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to send the Bulldogs packing, handing MSU its first loss of the season.
“It’s very frustrating,” running back Dillon Johnson said Tuesday. “We had the game. We blew it.”
Leach called the Bulldogs “inconsistent” numerous times after Saturday’s loss, and Johnson could see it in their play.
There were drops — five in all. There were missed blocks by the offensive line and running backs. There were costly turnovers: a muffed punt by Austin Williams; an interception by Will Rogers.
“We just weren’t on the same page,” Johnson said. “It’s just a lot of things that went wrong.”
Fatigue played a role in Mississippi State’s collapse, and the Bulldogs hope that won’t be an issue against Bowling Green.
Leach reminded media members on Monday of MSU’s travails so far this year: a lightning delay of more than two hours against Memphis, a late-night game to Arizona and an overnight trip back and a visit to Baton Rouge.
Johnson said that while playing in Starkville again leaves the Bulldogs no excuses, it’s certainly beneficial.
“It’s actually really good,” he said. “We’ve been tired, man.”
Now, Mississippi State gets to dictate the terms and create the ambience for its visitors.
Davis Wade Stadium likely won’t be full for an 11 a.m. kickoff against a Mid-American Conference opponent, but it should be loud enough to frazzle some Falcons.
“Just being able to be back in our environment — having the cowbells — means a lot,” linebacker Nathaniel Watson said.
It could spur the Bulldogs into playing a complete game, which they have yet to do this season.
Even in its two victories, MSU struggled late on defense against Memphis and took poor care of the ball in the second half against Arizona.
Mississippi State can surely weather some miscues Saturday against Bowling Green.
Too many, though, and the Bulldogs could be the Falcons’ latest victim.
“That’s the first and foremost thing our guys have got to understand: You’d better be ready to play four quarters and come out ready to go and put a whole week together,” Brock said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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