Mississippi State (3-0) hosts Northern Illinois (1-1) in its final nonconference game of the regular season at Davis Wade Stadium at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday. The game will be televised on SEC Network. The Huskies had a week off after losing 20-9 against Maryland in Week 2, and pose a threat to MSU’s perfect start to the season as a program known for upsets on the road at Power Four schools.
It’s a matchup that head coach Jeff Lebby isn’t overlooking, and his team will have to keep its focus against a stout defense.
Here are three keys to victory for the Bulldogs as they look to stay perfect going into SEC play next week.
Establish the run
There is a lot of focus on the NIU front seven, and for good reason. The Huskies’ defense allows just 2.74 yards per carry through two games, and 74 yards per game on the ground.
MSU has found a serviceable running back duo in Fluff Bothwell and Davon Booth, but they need to continue getting a push on the offensive line.
Both MSU and NIU are around the middle of the pack of FBS teams in rushing offense. The Bulldogs average nearly five yards per carry on 107 attempts, but the team is very efficient in scoring on the ground. They have nine touchdowns on the ground, with seven coming in the red zone, an indicator of how Lebby likes to use the run game. If they can’t “score from far,” they like to wear a team out in the red zone, and both Bothwell and Booth are good short-yardage options.
The Huskies’ defense can be a problem for MSU in the trenches, but it presents a good test for the Bulldog offensive line before things heat up against Tennessee and Texas A&M in the following weeks.
“Score from far”
The new motto in Lebby’s showtime offense is a fitting one considering the talent at his disposal. Brenen Thompson, Anthony Evans and Jordan Mosley all have receiving touchdowns of 50 or more yards, with all three of Thompson’s coming from 40 or more yards. All three are dangerous players with the ball in their hands, and Thompson and Evans both have catch-and-run scores of more than 50 yards.
Quarterback Blake Shapen is another reason why. His adjusted yards gained per pass attempt is 9.43 with a 68.8 completion percentage.
MSU’s accuracy and efficiency in the passing game are evident through three games, and it gives them the ability to score from anywhere on the field. It’s the kind of attack that can help the team out of a jam, like it did against Arizona State in a last-minute win, and the Bulldogs have to continue to tinker with it to keep things fresh ahead of SEC play.
Get into the NIU backfield
The NIU offense doesn’t strike a lot of fear based on their two games this season. The Huskies have just two touchdowns in two games, both from the running backs, and average just under 100 passing yards per game. The running back duo of Chavon Wright and Telly Johnson Jr. both pose a threat and are responsible for the team’s only touchdowns this season, but quarterback Josh Holst has yet to show much promise in his first season as the full-time starter.
For the Bulldog defense, the task seems straightforward: Stop the run and force the quarterback to make plays.
It may be a bit easier said than done, given MSU is down its leading pass rusher, losing Will Whitson for the season, but this game is looking like a good opportunity to test the defensive line unit and find out who can step up in Whitson’s absence. They have to see more from Deonte Anderson, Trevion Williams, Red Hibbler and Montrell Chapman if they want to ramp up the pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
The interior will be tested too, but the Bulldogs have looked healthier and deeper in that unit. Kedrick Bingley-Jones has had a lot of help from DJ Reed, Jaray Bledsoe, Kalvin Dinkins and Jamil Burroughs, as well as the impressive linebacker corps behind them. If they can continue to hold up the run game against the Huskies, it will be a long game for the visitors and Holst under center.
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