7/26/2019 football Edit

Preview & Prediction: Mississippi State

Kylin Hill and Mississippi State ran over Kansas State last in Manhattan. (USA Today)

Matt Hall • EMAWOnline

Managing Editor

LAST YEAR

Mississippi State went 8-5 a year ago, it's first season under head coach Joe Moorehead. Offense was the issue in the losses, as the Bulldogs scored just 7, 6, 3 and 0 points in regular-season losses to Kentucky, Florida, LSU and Alabama before a competitive 27-22 loss to Iowa in the Outback Bowl closed the campaign. The high point likely came in a 23-9 win over Auburn, and in general it feels like enough was accomplished in Moorehead's first season.

WHO ARE THEY?

You remember exactly who they were, at least. MSU gave K-State the most lopsided 31-10 beating I've probably witnessed, as the Bulldogs out-gained the Wildcats 538 to 213 a year ago, including rolling up a ridiculous 384 yards and 9.8 yards per carry on 38 rushes. Kylin Hill, alone, ran for 215 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 12.4 yards a rush. There are questions at quarterback, but Hill and three offensive line starters do return. The real questions have to come on defense, especially up front, after a pair of elite defensive linemen moved on to the NFL.

WHO TO WATCH?

It's got to be Hill, right? The 5-foot-11, 215 pound junior returns after torching the Wildcats a year ago. You can take this as a good or bad thing, but outside of the K-State game Hill ran for just 538 yards on 100 carries (5.38 yards per carry). Still nice production over 10 games, but nowhere near what he did against the Wildcats. Hill will split some carries, too, with senior Nick Gibson. Gibson was explosive last year (7.6 yards per carry last year on 27 rushes) when used and should be a bigger factor on offense this season.

K-STATE WINS BECAUSE...

This game absolutely has to be circled on the Wildcats' calendar. Mississippi State demoralized the Wildcats in Manhattan, and I don't think I'm making too much of it to say the apparent talent gap in that game stunned some fans into realizing there were some issues in the program. Outside of Oklahoma, no win this year would show a more drastic swing from last season to this season, and I think that level of motivation would have a shot to help propel K-State to an upset.

K-STATE LOSES BECAUSE...

Mississippi State is still a deeper, more talented team playing at home. It will be a big non-conference opportunity for the Bulldogs, too, and it's going to take more than just emotion for the Wildcats to be able to walk into Starkville and win. The MSU running game is still going to be very, very difficult to slow down.

PRESEASON PREDICTION: Mississippi State 29, Kansas State 22

Ultimately I think Mississippi State will out-athlete K-State, but not to the level it did a year ago. K-State's players will be determined to make a statement and be physical in this game, and I expect Klieman and company to throw pretty much every thing they've got at the Bulldogs. I don't think it will be enough, but the game will feel different than it did a year ago.

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