Five South Alabama players every Miss. State fan should know by Saturday

The Mississippi State Bulldogs will leave home for the first time in 2014 when they travel to take on the South Alabama Jaguars Saturday in Mobile, Alabama.

The Jags are coming off a season-opening win over Kent State last week, and will make their home debut against Mississippi State.

Here are five Jaguars every Bulldogs fan should know about before Saturday’s action:

1. Brandon Bridge (QB): Bridge did enough to lead South Alabama to a 23-13 victory last week, completing 60 percent of his passes (15-of-25) for 161 yards and a touchdown against Kent State. He played smart, safe football, avoiding turnovers while taking easy completions over daring shots down the field. He added 13 rushes for 41 yards on the ground, keeping the Golden Flashes’ defense honest with his legs. Bridge is not a dynamic playmaker, but he won’t beat himself on Saturday, either. Mississippi State must remain sound on defense in order to contain Bridge’s abilities as both a passer and a runner.
2. Jay Jones (RB): Jones is perhaps the most consistent skill player in the South Alabama offense. He led the Jaguars with 21 carries for 102 yards and two touchdowns against Kent State, and also contributed a nine-yard reception against the Golden Flashes. He ran for 737 yards and five touchdowns at greater than five yards per carry in 2013, leading USA in every statistical category in the run game. Jones is a reliable workhorse who rarely coughs up the football or goes down behind the line of scrimmage. It will be imperative the Bulldogs’ front seven contain him, especially in the first half when the game is close. Limiting Jones will go a long way toward stifling the Jags’ offense.
3. Shavarez Smith (WR): Smith had a breakout season in 2013, catching 50 passes for 940 yards (18.8 yards per reception) and six touchdowns last season. He was limited to just three catches for 18 yards against Kent State, but those three receptions were tied for the team lead, showing Bridge wants to get the ball to his skilled senior wideout as much as possible. South Alabama’s next-most productive receiver returning from last season is Jerome Jones, who caught 10 fewer passes than Smith and for less than half the yardage Smith amassed in 2013. The Jags’ do not have the nation’s most dynamic passing attack, but the Bulldogs cannot afford to allow Smith to beat them down the field the way UAB did last week.
4. Maleki Harris (LB): Harris is a bit undersized compared to most SEC linebackkers at just 210 pounds, but he is also one of the most electrifying members of the South Alabama defense. He was all over the field against Kent State, recording four tackles, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup last week. Harris led all returning members of the defense with 8.5 tackles for loss in 2013, proving his propensity for making plays in opposing backfields. He is capable both as a pass rusher and in coverage, posting 2.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries, seven pass breakups and an interception a year ago. The Jags will line Harris up all over the field, and Mississippi State cannot lose track of him as it moves the ball on offense.
5. Davin Hawkins (LB): Hawkins led South Alabama with nine tackles a week ago, adding a tackle for loss and a sack in his stellar opening game performance. He made perhaps the biggest play of the game by recording a safety to put USA up 2-0 early against Kent State. The Jags’ scored a touchdown on their ensuing drive to extend the lead to 9-0, and never relinquished the lead from that point on. Hawkins saw limited action last season and recorded just one tackle, but his showing against Kent State proved he is now a deserving starter on the Jaguars’ defense. Like Harris, Hawkins is capable playing in the box and in pass coverage, recording a pair of pass breakups against the Golden Flashes. The Jags’ feisty linebackers could cause problems for the Mississippi State offense if the Bulldogs don’t take care of business up front in slowing players like Harris and Hawkins down.

Ethan Levine

A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.