StarkVegas Report · Original game analysis
State takes its running game north and brings home a win
A road win gets a whole lot easier when you can run the football and keep the other side from doing it. Mississippi State did both in Minneapolis, beating Minnesota 38 to 13 and moving to two wins without a loss. The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on their first four possessions and led 28 to 6 at halftime. This was not a game State had to rescue late. The early work gave the Bulldogs control.
Fluff Bothwell carried 18 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns as State rushed for 252 yards. Kamario Taylor added 227 passing yards and three scoring throws, with Anthony Evans III catching seven passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. Minnesota managed just 13 rushing yards. From a coaching standpoint, that matters because a team that cannot count on its run game has fewer comfortable answers when it falls behind.
State also converted six of 10 third downs, including the steady work behind a 12 play touchdown drive in the second quarter. That is the part worth carrying forward: explosive plays are welcome, but sustaining possessions keeps pressure on an opponent. Minnesota found the end zone in the third quarter, and State still finished with the only touchdown of the fourth. For a first road test, there was plenty here to build on.
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