Mississippi State started the year in great form, winning its first four games.
Since then, the Bulldogs have dropped four in a row, including a 31-3 loss to Texas last week. They hope to get back on track Saturday when they host last-place Vanderbilt in Starkville, Miss.
Filling in for injured quarterback Kamario Taylor, who suffered a season-ending toe injury on Oct. 24 vs. Oklahoma, AJ Swann was 12-for-15 passing for just 97 yards for the Bulldogs (4-4, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) against Texas. Swann, a former Vanderbilt quarterback (2022-23), may get another start this week against his former program.
“We’ve got four games left in the regular season. We will dictate what the four-game stretch looks like,” said head coach Jeff Lebby, whose team was ranked as high as No. 16 nationally at one point. “None is more important than Saturday because it’s the next one and the only one that we have control over.”
Vanderbilt (3-5, 0-5) last played on Oct. 24, when it lost 34-17 at Kentucky. The Commodores have dropped five in a row after a 3-0 start.
Coach Clark Lea thought the bye week for his team was productive.
“It was good to be back on the field, particularly Thursday and Friday, especially with our spirit, energy and effort,” Lea said. “We focused a lot of attention on the areas we wanted to improve.”
A lot of emphasis has been placed on the running game. Vanderbilt managed only 15 rushing yards against the Wildcats and is averaging 106.1 yards per game on the year. Sedrick Alexander leads the team in rushing with 274 yards and five touchdowns.
“We’re really targeting an effective run game, one that has timing and chemistry, that has been absent this season,” Lea said.
The Bulldogs average 161.6 rushing yards per game and are holding opponents to 116.5 yards per contest on average.
For Mississippi State, the offense is seeking redemption after its showing against Texas. The Bulldogs have scored only 18 points in their last three games.
“We’re really frustrated with our performance offensively. We need to be better. We have to be better. The expectation is to be better,” Lebby said.