STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen is looking to do something that hasn’t happened since Jackie Sherrill led the Bulldogs.
Mullen and MSU have a chance to win three games in a row against Auburn. It would be the longest streak against the Tigers since the Bulldogs won four in a row from 1997-2000.
MSU (2-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) will get a chance to do that at 11 a.m. Saturday (ESPN) when the play host to Auburn (3-2, 1-1) at Davis Wade Stadium. The game was originally scheduled for the SEC Network, but was moved because Hurricane Matthew forced the game between LSU and Florida to be postponed.
MSU won 17-9 at Auburn last season and 38-23 at home in 2014. MSU was ranked No. 3 and Auburn No. 2 in 2014. The Bulldogs rose to No. 1 the following week and were the top-ranked team in the country for five-straight weeks.
MSU is coming off a 47-35 victory against UMass at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Bulldogs had a bye last week.
Auburn is coming off victories against LSU and Louisiana-Monroe.
Here are five things to watch:
1. Will Nick Fitzgerald be able to run?
MSU starting quarterback Nick Fitzgerald proved against South Carolina, his first SEC start, he can make things happen with his legs.
Fitzgerald set the school record for most yards rushing by a quarterback with 195 yards on 17 carries. Fitzgerald is averaging 82.2 yards rushing per game, which is eighth in the SEC. He has a team-high 329 yards on 47 carries, but he hasn’t scored a touchdown.
Auburn’s defense, which has given up 780 yards rushing in five games, is allowing 156.0 yards per game, which is eighth in the SEC.
“Running the ball, we’re going to have to really move some bodies,” Fitzgerald said.
Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn called Fitzgerald “a very good downhill runner,” and said this will be a “big test” for his defensive front.
Mullen said senior defensive tackle Montravius Adams, who has 15 tackles (four for loss), two-and-a-half sacks, six quarterback hurries, and a blocked kick, could have been a first-round pick in the NFL draft last spring.
Malzahn said the linebackers will be a factor in stopping Fitzgerald.
“Our linebackers have done a very solid job with the run fits,” Malzahn said. “They’re playing downhill and tackling well. We’re going to have to continue that.”
Junior linebacker Tre’ Williams is third on the team with 28 tackles (two-and-a-half for loss), one sack, three quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble.
2. How much will seniors Cedric Jiles and Will Coleman play?
Coming off injuries, Mullen won’t try to overtax senior cornerback Cedric Jiles (broken right arm) and senior defensive lineman Will Coleman (lower back).
Jiles suffered his injury two weeks before the season began. Jiles’ career has been plagued by injuries. He played in three games as a freshman in 2012 due to hand and wrist injuries. He missed his junior season with a hamstring injury.
Coleman, who transferred from Tyler (Texas) Junior College, hasn’t practiced as much as Jiles this week, according to Mullen.
First-year defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon said it will be good to get the veterans back, regardless of how many snaps they see.
“Every position’s a little bit different. I think the closer you get to the line of scrimmage, I think it’s a little more challenging to get back because of the strain and the amount of contact you have,” Sirmon said.
Jiles has played in 26 games and has 40 tackles and five passes defended. Coleman played in 13 games and had 15 tackles (two-and-a-half for loss) and one pass defended last season.
“Some guys can probably play a game without a lot of practice, and some guys who didn’t practice, for them to go out in a game and play is probably unrealistic,” Sirmon said.
3. How will MSU handle Auburn’s quarterback rotation?
Earlier in the season, Malzhan rotated quarterbacks Sean White, John Franklin, III, and Jeremy Johnson.
White has started every game and has gotten most of the playing time. He is 78 of 114 for 983 yards and five touchdowns (one interception). He has 57 yards rushing on 34 carries and one touchdown.
Franklin, who played at East Mississippi Community College and was part of the Netflix Documentary “Last Chance U” last season, is 6 of 10 for 73 yards and one touchdown. He leads all quarterbacks with 206 yards rushing on 16 carries and a touchdown.
“There’s no doubt John is starting to feel more comfortable,” Malzahn said. “He’s been getting all of the two reps for over a month now, so he’s getting more comfortable. We’ll just see how the season goes. He’s ready and he’s improving.”
Mullen said the Auburn coaching staff has done a good job of putting White into the right positions and making the right play calls to be successful. He likes what Franklin brings to the position, especially with his legs.
“I think they bring him in as more of a Wildcat-type quarterback, where he’s coming in to run the football for them and give a change of pace,” Mullen said. “When they’re going to run the quarterback some, to protect your starter and not have him take the hits.”
Johnson, who began last season as the starter, hasn’t recorded any stats since the opener. He is 4 of 6 for 38 yards and has minus-18 yards rushing on six carries.
4. Which field goal kicker has the advantage?
After making six field goals in an 18-13 victory against LSU two weeks ago, Auburn’s Daniel Carlson was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.
The junior is 12 of 13 with a long of 53. His miss came from 56 yards last week against Louisiana-Monroe.
After missing two, including a potential game-winning 28-yard attempt against South Alabama, MSU’s Westin Graves has made six in a row. The junior is 8 of 10 with a long of 48 yards against South Alabama.
5. How will Auburn handle its first road game?
After opening the season with five-straight home games, Auburn will play on the road for the first time.
In Malzahn’s first three years, the Tigers are 7-6 in road games.
In 2013, Auburn’s first road game came in the fourth week, a 35-21 loss at LSU. In 2014, the first road game was in week three, a 20-14 victory against Kansas State. Last season, Auburn opened with a 31-24 victory against Louisville in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, and then beat Jacksonville State 27-20 in overtime at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. The following week, Auburn lost 45-21 at LSU.
“No doubt this is kind of rare to have five home games,” Malzahn said. “The young guys are who you are always concerned about. We will do a good job of the things in practice as far as the crowd noise and everything that goes with that. That’ll be a big focus this week.”
MSU fans are known for ringing cowbells, but they can only ring them at certain times. Cowbells aren’t supposed to be used when the center is standing over the football.
“(The cowbells) are loud as heck,” Auburn offensive lineman Braden Smith said. “That’s all I know. You’ve just got to get past it. If we’re doing good, then the cowbells will stop. That’s the only way you can silence them. It was definitely noticeable (in 2014), but it’s just noise basically.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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