Mississippi St. and Auburn

Not only are Mississippi St. and Auburn rivals, but  they both had a large amount of success this season. Going in week 7 of the 2014 NCAA football season, both teams are 5-0. This is the best start ever for Mississippi St. and are currently 3rd in the AP standings. Auburn is currently ranked 2nd, after a loss for Alabama and 4 other teams in the top 7 AP ranks, allowed the Tigers to move up.

Mississippi St.’s success can be attributed to their new offensive scheme established by head coach Dan Mullen. Their QB has emerged as a star this season, in an offense geared towards the spread. Their offensive scheme consists of a double RB set, and at times a three wide that extends to the side lines. The theory is to create openings so Zak Prescott can make his own decisions, as well as utilized strengths within the offense. He is comparable to Peyton Manning because he has the ability to make the right throws in the pocket and has made very few mistakes this season.

As for Auburn, they are coming off an Iron Bowl win after defeating Alabama in comeback fashion. The Tigers defied the inevitable by returning a field kick attempt the length of the field. One play determined the fate for both teams, but for Auburn it was a victory, and for Alabama it was a trip to the showers.

Auburn high flying offense is tough against Mississppi St.’s defense because they utilize the height advantage of their wide receivers against the corners. Their agility allows them to burst through the seams and their height allows them to catch the higher thrown balls in the air. But what really makes a name for the Auburn Tigers is their defense. They have only allowed an average of 14.4 points per game compared to a Mississippi defense that have allowed much more.

Some keys to the game are the Auburn Defense against the run, Mississippi St. holding onto leads, and for both teams, the amount of total turnovers. Turnovers are the deciding factors in games, and is very well the topic of concern for both teams going into this game. In this early season, Auburn has been impressive against the run, but a double duo of runners could be a problem to the Tigers.

To start the game, Dak Prescott completed a 34 yard bomb to De’Runnya Wilson for a TD, which gave Miss. St. an early 7-0 lead. The next scoring drive was led by the Bulldogs defense who recovered a fumble for  a touchdown making the score 14-0. The next drive led to yet another Bulldogs score with Prescott being a recipient this time. He over powered the defensive line of the Tigers, and powered in for the score. 21-0 Bulldogs over the Tigers. Tigers get on the board after a 21 yd field goal for 3 points. Another field goal and touchdown by Auburn made the score 21-13. With the Tigers with momentum with 5:00 left until halftime, Prescott was able to capitalize on his second rushing touchdown today, was able to extend the lead to 28-13, going into the half. Out of the half, the Tigers were able to score a TD on a pass by Nick Marshall, and pull Auburn within 8 points of Mississippi St. Miss. St. countered with another score, with a FG. 31-20 Mississippi St. with a large amount of time left in the game. One final touchdown sealed the deal in Davis Wade Stadium and is another statement victory for Mississippi St. who now improves their record to 6-0. This win was very pivotal to their season, and now has the chance of becoming undefeated, and remains in contention of a playoff birth in the new playoff system created this season.