STARKVILLE — For the first time in six weeks, the No. 1 Mississippi State football team will line up against a non-Southeastern Conference opponent Saturday afternoon.
That’s when coach Dan Mullen and MSU will play host to Tennessee-Martin at 3 p.m. (SEC Network) in a Homecoming game that will provide a rare respite from the rigors of SEC play.
But Mullen said there are plenty of things for the Bulldogs to work on.
“I know their head coach Jason Simpson well,” Mullen said. “They are a very well-coached football team. They are a little unorthodox at times. They will come at you on defense from a lot of different directions. They run an up-tempo offense. They are on a four-game winning streak, and they have dominated their last two opponents. Their team is playing with a lot of confidence, and this is a big opportunity for them. They are going to come in with a chip on their shoulder, and it will present a huge challenge.”
Tennessee-Martin (5-5, 4-3 Ohio Valley Conference) is MSU’s first non-conference game since it defeated South Alabama 35-3 in Week 3 in Mobile, Alabama. The game follows MSU’s toughest two-game stretch of the year, a 45-31 win at Kentucky and a physical 17-10 victory against Arkansas.
Last week, MSU junior quarterback Dak Prescott looked hobbled at times, but he still threw for a career-high 331 yards against Arkansas. He also had 13 carries for 61 yards, his lowest totals in both categories since the season opener.
Asked Monday afternoon at his press conference if there is a plan is in place for backup quarterback Damian Williams to play against UT-Martin, Mullen said any such plan likely would come later in the week.
“Early in the year, we do that stuff to get Damian some game reps, to get him in rhythm,” Mullen said. “This late in the year, you normally don’t have to consider that, but we haven’t finalized the game plan.”
The non-conference game couldn’t come at a better time for MSU, which is ranked No. 1 in the Amway Coaches Poll (USA Today) and The Associated Press Top 25 for the fourth-straight week.
“We are very fortunate to get a 3 p.m. kickoff for Homecoming,” Mullen said. “I do not know if there is a better time to play a Homecoming game. We have had an unbelievable home-field advantage this year, and I think that has helped us win several games this year. Having a sold out and loud stadium has created issues for the opposing team, and we need that again this Saturday.
“This is the first Homecoming game where we have been ranked No. 1, which is exciting.”
It will also serve as a homecoming of sorts for several Skyhawks. Eight members of the team hail from Mississippi, including backup quarterback Dylan Favre, who signed with MSU out of St. Stanislaus High School in February 2010 after winning a Class 4A state championship as a senior. The nephew of NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre, Favre transferred from MSU following the 2011 season.
At UT-Martin, Favre has seen action in six games and has is 45 of 76 for 498 yards and four scores.
“He is a playmaker. I know that,” Mullen said of Favre. “We always knew that when he was here. If you put him out there exciting things are going to happen. Some good and some bad. I do not know if it gives us much of an advantage. He is going to be used to this environment. He has played in this stadium and has been in that environment before.”
Former West Point High School standout Jaquille White, a member of the Green Wave’s state title teams in 2009 and 2010, is junior defensive back at Tennessee-Martin.
Cleaning up mistakes
MSU earned its 11th-straight win — and third-consecutive victory against Arkansas — last week despite committing three first-half turnovers for the second time in three games.
Mullen said those mistakes can’t continue.
“We take a lot of pride in protecting the football,” Mullen said. “I am not very happy to have almost two years worth of turnovers in eight games. We also realize we are no longer the hunters and are now the hunted. People are going to throw the kitchen sink at us, and we are going to get things in games we have not seen before. Our guys have to do a good job of managing the game because we are going to get everyone’s best shot.”
Freshman punt returner Jamoral Graham has muffed punts in each of the last four games, mistakes that have led to 13 points.
Asked if a decision has been made to replace Graham after sophomore Fred Ross was used as punt returner against Arkansas, Mullen took a wait-and-see approach.
“We will see how things go at practice,” Mullen said. “He was in that position because at practice he was the best at returning punts. Saturday he had a shot at a return and took his eyes off the ball before he caught it. You are not going to catch balls that way. Those are little things he has to continue to improve on.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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