MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama will face Mississippi State on Saturday in Starkville, Miss., marking the first time the Jaguars have played a team ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 and the program’s first game against a Southeastern Conference opponent.
The Bulldogs are 3-0 and moved into the AP poll at No. 23 after victories over Jackson State (56-9), Auburn (28-10) and Troy (30-24). South Alabama, a 34.5-point underdog for the game at Davis Wade Stadium, is coming off a 31-7 loss at North Carolina State.
Jones on the Bulldogs
Head coach Joey Jones said the Jaguars are eager for the challenge.
“We realize we’re going up against a top-25 football team in Mississippi State,” Jones said. “They have done a great job getting that program back on the map, so to speak. They have a great coaching staff and great players. We’re looking forward to playing a team like them.”
Jones pointed first to the size of Mississippi State’s offensive and defensive lines.
“They are very big,” Jones said. “You look across their front line on offense and the front line on defense and they have guys who are 6-foot-6 and 340, 330, 325 and 6-7 and those kind of things. They’ve done a great job recruiting some very big linemen, which is the first thing you see. The second thing you see is that they are playing with a lot of confidence right now. They beat Auburn 28-10 a couple of weeks ago and they are playing at a high level and deservedly so.”
Mississippi State entered last weekend ranked 11th nationally in total defense, but Troy finished with more than 570 yards of offense against the Bulldogs in their six-point game.
Mullen Compares Jaguars to Troy
Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen said South Alabama shares traits with the Troy team his Bulldogs just faced.
“They’re a tough team being a newer program,” Mullen said. “They have a lot of similarities with the team that we played last week, a very similar offensive system. They’re going to try to spread you out and run the football. Defensively, they’re pretty stout. They’ve given up 300 yards a game, a very sound defensive team and they play hard. That’s what you see when you watch them on film.”
Lessons From NC State
South Alabama trailed NC State 28-0 before playing more competitively in the second half. Jones said film review showed many errors his team can fix.
“There were a lot of things on film that were so correctable, which is still on us,” Jones said. “Some of it had to do with how good (N.C. State was), there is no doubt about that, but there were a lot of things we didn’t do ourselves that we can correct. That was probably the biggest thing. The second thing was that our kids didn’t quit.”
Jones said the Jaguars passed up field goal chances in Raleigh to go for it on fourth down.
“The offense kept working and drove down and scored,” he said. “We had a couple chances to kick field goals but went for it. We probably should have kicked looking back on it. The bottom line is we played much better in the second half. To me, that shows the character of a team. When you’re down, how are you going to react? I think the kids really fought hard and kept fighting, that’s one thing I like about this team.”
By the Numbers
- Mississippi State is averaging 413 yards and 38 points per game on offense.
- The Bulldogs’ defense is allowing 351 yards and just over 14 points per game.
- South Alabama is averaging 300 yards and just under 16 points per game.
- The Jaguars’ defense is allowing 300 yards and 22.3 points per game.
Preparing to Win
Jones said the Jaguars’ focus is on their own execution rather than the point spread.
“You always prepare to win,” Jones said. “If you’re an oddsmaker you might not pick us to win, but there is somebody who gets beat every week who isn’t supposed to. That’s the way I look at it. We will go out and prepare. We were watching film of last week’s game and had we done some of the things we were supposed to do, the game would have been much closer. It all comes down to us, not how good our opponent is.”
“We are going to get knocked around some,” he added. “They have some big linemen. But we’ll keep fighting back and trying to make plays and do what we are supposed to do. That is what we have to focus on.”
Update: Game-Day Information
Kickoff at Davis Wade Stadium is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, with stadium gates scheduled to open at about 3:45 p.m.
The game will be available on pay-per-view in local markets in Mississippi and Alabama. Viewers outside the blackout area can watch nationally on ESPN3.com. In the Mobile area, the radio broadcast airs on WNSP 105.5 FM, with the pregame show starting at 5 p.m. The broadcast also streams at wnsp.com and on the TuneIn radio app.
Mississippi State fans have been asked to wear white for the game, while the Bulldogs will wear their traditional maroon home uniforms. South Alabama supporters making the trip are being encouraged to wear blue.
Update: More From Monday’s Press Conference
Jones said South Alabama’s biggest offensive problem at NC State was third down, where the Jaguars went 0-for-11. “If you make four of those then you continue drives,” Jones said. “Against a team like N.C. State you have to convert and at least get field goals to try and put some points on the board, and we didn’t do that.” He said the staff reviewed each failed attempt and found a mix of errors by the quarterback, receivers and linemen.
Asked how Mississippi State’s defensive front compares with NC State’s, Jones said the Bulldogs are “every bit as good or better” and bigger, and noted that their secondary frequently changes coverages after the snap.
Jones said the team has discussed Louisiana-Monroe’s recent upset of Auburn only a couple of times. He pointed to Troy’s game against Mississippi State as an example of staying close into the fourth quarter. “We are going to have to make those plays and keep it close to have a chance to win,” he said.
Jones said he does not expect his familiarity with Bulldogs offensive coordinator Les Koenning, who was South Alabama’s first offensive coordinator, to help much, because Mississippi State’s offense under Dan Mullen has been adjusted toward a Florida-style approach.
Players Respond
Tight end Wes Saxton said the offense left the defense on the field too long at NC State. “We need to focus on discipline this week, and not commit as many penalties,” Saxton said. “Penalties are hurting us in games. If we cut down on them, we’ll put the ball in the end zone.”
Defensive lineman Alex Page said limiting big plays and getting off the field on third down are the priorities. “Getting pressure on the quarterback is always going to be key in a big game like this,” Page said. He added that playing before a large crowd in Raleigh should help prepare the Jaguars for Starkville. “I believe it will be even more hostile this week, so we have to be even more prepared,” he said.
