Mississippi State looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season.
The Bulldogs (2-1) will host Bowling Green (1-2) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium.
The Dispatch examined which team has the edge at each position.
Quarterback
Bowling Green’s Matt McDonald has thrown 10 touchdown passes without an interception this year, but he’s been far less accurate than Mississippi State’s Will Rogers. McDonald’s completion percentage is just 56.3 percent, while Rogers’ sits at 72.1 percent through three games. Rogers is averaging 7.0 yards per attempt to McDonald’s 5.8 so far; neither quarterback has a passing play longer than 35 yards this year.
Edge: Mississippi State
Running back
Jo’quavious Marks and Dillon Johnson have racked up a combined 316 rushing yards through three games for Mississippi State. The duo has 61 carries so far, averaging 5.2 yards per attempt on the ground. For Bowling Green, meanwhile, McDonald is the leading rusher at 77 yards; running back Ta’Ron Keith has 76. Keith is averaging 4.5 yards per attempt, while Jaison Patterson has run 24 times for only 60 yards.
Edge: Mississippi State
Wide receiver/tight end
Bowling Green has four players, including Keith, with more than 100 receiving yards this season. Odieu Hiliare leads the Falcons with 143 yards and three touchdowns, and CJ Lewis has 138 yards and two scores. Tight end Christian Sims — one of the Falcons’ two starting tight ends — sits at 104 yards. Rara Thomas leads Mississippi State with 211 receiving yards with four other players, including Johnson, topping 100.
Edge: Mississippi State
Offensive line
Mississippi State’s offensive line had its worst performance of the season so far Saturday at LSU, giving up four sacks, three in the first half alone. The Bulldogs’ line performed fairly well in the first two games and has helped pave the way for a 3.5 yard per carry rushing average. For Bowling Green, McDonald has been sacked only four times, but the line’s run blocking seems suspect. The Falcons are averaging only 2.7 yards per carry as a team.
Edge: Mississippi State
Defensive line
Bowling Green’s defensive line has gotten after opposing quarterbacks this year. The Falcons have 12 sacks through three games, with Karl Brooks and Demetrius Hardamon having two apiece. Eight other players have at least half a sack. Nathan Pickering leads Mississippi State with two sacks, and four other players have one. Opponents are running for 4.6 yards a carry on MSU and 4.9 yards per carry on Bowling Green, meaning the Falcons’ run defense is more suspect. MSU was missing Jordan Davis as well as Jaden Crumedy last week, testing its depth.
Edge: Mississippi State
Linebacker
Bowling Green has a solid linebacker corps in its 3-4 scheme, including DJ Taylor (19 tackles, one interception) and JB Brown (18 tackles, one sack.) Of course, Mississippi State has one of the most experienced linebacker groups in the nation. Jett Johnson leads the Bulldogs with 28 tackles, Nathaniel Watson is a solid presence in the middle, and Tyrus Wheat is a force on the edge or anywhere on the field.
Edge: Mississippi State
Secondary
Opponents are throwing for 345.7 yards per game against Bowling Green’s secondary through three games — more than Mississippi State’s passing average of 328 yards per game on offense. The Bulldogs’ defense, meanwhile, gives up 217 yards per contest. Bowling Green has picked off three passes — safeties Jordan Anderson and Trent Simms each have an interception — but the Falcons allow 7.9 yards per pass, a bad sign against MSU’s Air Raid scheme.
Edge: Mississippi State
Special teams
Bowling Green has made two of its three field goal attempts so far this season. The Falcons are a perfect 12 of 12 on extra points to Mississippi State’s 11-of-14 mark. BGSU lacks the explosiveness of MSU kickoff returner Lideatrick Griffin or freshman punt returner Zavion Thomas, who should have an expanded role after Austin Williams’ fumble against LSU. Bowling Green averages just 37.5 net yards per punt to the Bulldogs’ 43.55 but did block punts against UCLA and Eastern Kentucky.
Edge: Even
Starters
Bowling Green
Offense
QB 3 Matt McDonald Sr.
RB 19 Ta’ron Keith So.
WR 4 Tyrone Broden Jr.
-or 11 CJ Lewis Sr.
WR 1 Odieu Hiliare Sr.
TE 88 Christian Sims Sr.
TE 10 Levi Gazarek So.
LT 76 Kameren Stewart Jr.
-or 52 Jeremiah Banks-Wall Jr.
LG 72 Cade Zimmerly So.
-or 51 Cedric Dunbar II Jr.
C 77 Jalen Grant Jr.
RG 64 Bronson Warner So.
RT 50 Alex Wollschlaeger So.
Defense
DT 56 Walter Haire Sr.
NG 54 Anthony Hawkins Jr.
DE 11 Karl Brooks Sr.
LB 6 Bryce Brand Sr.
LB 23 Darren Anders Jr.
LB 2 Brock Horne Jr.
-or 17 DJ Taylor Sr.
LB 9 Blaine Spires
CB 4 Deshawn Jones Jr., So.
S 3 Chris Bacon Sr.
S 0 Jordan Anderson Sr.
CB 18 Jalen Burton So.
Special teams
K 93 Mason Lawler Sr.
P 99 Sami Sir Fr.
Mississippi State
Offense
QB 2 Will Rogers Jr.
RB 7 Jo’quavious Marks Jr.
-or 23 Dillon Johnson Jr.
-or 22 Simeon Price Fr.
WR 0 Rara Thomas So.
WR 85 Austin Williams Gr.
WR 82 Rufus Harvey So.
WR 4 Caleb Ducking Sr.
LT 69 Kwatrivous Johnson Sr.
LG 66 Nick Jones Jr.
C 63 LaQuinston Sharp Gr.
RG 57 Cole Smith Sr.
RT 58 Kameron Jones Jr.
-or 76 Albert Reese IV Fr.
Defense
DE 6 Jordan Davis Gr.
NT 93 Cameron Young Sr.
DT 5 Randy Charlton Sr.
SLB 2 Tyrus Wheat Sr.
MLB 14 Nathaniel Watson Sr.
WLB 44 Jett Johnson Gr.
CB 13 Emmanuel Forbes Jr.
S 8 Jackie Matthews Gr.
S 19 Collin Duncan Sr.
S 0 Jalen Green Sr.
CB 3 Decamerion Richardson Jr.
Special teams
K 29 Massimo Biscardi Gr.
P 56 Archer Trafford Sr.
-or 88 George Georgopoulos Gr.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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