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Hot or Cold: Mississippi State’s Preston Smith torching opposing offenses
By Ethan Levine
Published:
Checking in on the early-season temperatures in Starkville, Miss. …
HOT
Bulldogs’ defensive end Preston Smith. The Mississippi State senior has earned the SEC’s Defensive Lineman of the Week honor for two weeks in a row, and for good reason. Smith has registered an interception in back-to-back games, returning his second interception 21 yards for a touchdown last week against UAB. Smith also blocked a field goal in week 1 against Southern Miss that teammate Jay Hughes returned for a touchdown. He has three passes defended, two quarterback hurries and a tackle for loss to go along with his pair of interceptions, his blocked field goal and his return touchdown. Smith ignited the Mississippi State defense early in both games with his stellar play-making abilities, and no defensive lineman has made a greater impact on his team through two weeks than Smith has with the Bulldogs.
WARM
Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott. The dual-threat quarterback led Mississippi State to 96 points in its first two games, and he has posted impressive numbers with both his arm and his legs. Prescott is tied for first in the nation with eight touchdown passes, four in each game, and also ranks in the top-10 in the country in quarterback rating. He posted his first 100-yard rushing performance of 2014 in last week’s win over UAB, displaying the athleticism that intrigues so many fans across the SEC. However, Prescott has thrown two interceptions this season, both on poorly thrown balls. He was also rather inaccurate as a passer against UAB, completing just 12-of-25 pass attempts. Prescott has played like a superstar at times this season, but not for an entire game. He’ll look to post a complete performance Saturday against South Alabama.
COLD
The Bulldogs’ secondary. Mississippi State allowed UAB to score 34 points in Davis Wade Stadium one week after shutting out Southern Miss. Worse yet, the Blazers scored three touchdowns of 75 yards or more against Mississippi State, a sign the secondary either didn’t take the matchup seriously or is going to have issues dealing with speedy receivers throughout the season. Either way, the secondary will have to play better than it did against UAB. Like the rest of the defense, the MSU secondary is loaded with veterans who have proven they’re up to the task in the SEC, so although things may be a little chilly in the back-end of the Bulldogs’ defense, no one is suffering from frostbite just yet.
FROZEN
The Mississippi State kicking game. The Bulldogs’ have two place kickers, which, like with quarterbacks, means they really have none. Neither Evan Sobiesk nor Westin Graves has been able to claim sole possession of the job, and after the two kickers missed back-to-back extra points against UAB, it’s easy to see why. Mississippi State is 0-for-1 on field goal tries this season, although the miss can be credited to a bad snap more than anything else. Still, the entire kicking game has been a mess since the team opened training camp last month. It can be a difficult situation to remedy, but if Mullen cannot find an answer on special teams, it is bound to cost his Bulldogs in a close game in conference play.
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.
