Mississippi State Bulldogs are Peaking at the Right Time

Now that we’re well over halfway through the season and down to the last three games of the year, things are starting to become a little more clear about this Bulldog football team. It’s been fun watching these young guys mold into a very good SEC team.

There is no doubt the offensive line possesses more raw talent than the 2014 team, but I’ve found out this year that you just can’t replace the experience that line had playing together without it taking time. It’s been a work in progress and they are starting to gel now, but there is still work to do. The issue has been with missed assignments and learning the plays, not talent. Pass protection has been great for the most part. We will continue to see improvement as the year goes on and as we head into next season.

The running game has been a huge disappointment for this Bulldog team, but it’s beginning to pick up a little with the offensive line starting to gel. Overall it hasn’t been what many, including myself, thought it would be.

Ashton Shumpert didn’t take advantage of his season ending momentum last year and the young guns are just now seeing their carries increase. There is plenty of talent at running back and I think Aeris Williams just might have earned more opportunities after his performance in the Missouri game.

More from Mississippi State Football

• Meeting the Opponent: Week 4 – South Carolina Gamecocks
• Mississippi State football vs LSU: The good, bad, and ugly
• The Wednesday Wrap: Maybe Mississippi State Football Coach Zach Arnett shouldn’t do it his way
• Mississippi State football history vs. South Carolina: Records, streaks, and more
• Mississippi State football bowl projections after Bulldogs crushed by LSU

The offense as a whole has been terrific, mainly because of the Dak Prescott led passing attack. Prescott has separated himself from any other quarterback in the league. He is seeing the whole field this year and he’s improved in every part of his passing game. His running ability hasn’t changed. He is still one of the best in the entire nation when he tucks it and runs, he just isn’t running doing it nearly as often, thanks to an elite receiving unit.

Dak Prescott not being mentioned in the Heisman race is the biggest fraud in all of college football.

While Dak definitely owns the keys to the wheel, let’s give credit where credit is due. His receiving core is one of the best in the nation and the depth of it is kind of amazing. This unit has nine different players with double digit catches and that includes a few games without a key contributor from last years team, Gabe Myles, who was injured early in the season.

The recent emergence of Tight End Darrion Hutcherson makes the Fred Ross, De’Runnya Wilson led receiving unit even more dangerous as the season progresses.

Don’t forget the names Donald Gray and Malik Dear because they are starting to emerge as well and have the look of future superstars.

The kicking game has been surprisingly spectacular. Westin Graves has made this unit an asset instead of a weakness. Logan Cooke has had his ups and downs as a Sophomore, but he is averaging almost 42 yards a punt and overall he has been pretty good himself.

The outlook and what’s ahead:

With Alabama looming ahead, that is by far the Bulldogs biggest test the rest of the way. If the Bulldogs can survive that storm, then I can very easily see this being a 10-2 football team and one game off of my preseason prediction. One thing this Mississippi State football team has going for them right now is that they’re peaking at the most important time of the year.