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MSU Keys to Victory: Minutemen Edition

By Dakota Knight

Sep 3, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Massachusetts Minutemen quarterback Ross Comis (2) hands off to Massachusetts Minutemen running back Marquis Young (8) during the first quarter of a football game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Massachusetts Minutemen quarterback Ross Comis (2) hands off to Massachusetts Minutemen running back Marquis Young (8) during the first quarter of a football game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Peeps, the MSU Bulldogs take on the UMass Minutemen tomorrow.

This is a game the Dawgs “should” win, but it’s no guarantee. The Minutemen played Florida close at home in Week 1 and State is on the road. It’s technically a neutral site game since it will be played at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, in Boston. So what do the Dawgs need to do to come back home with the W? Here’s what I think:

1. Run the “Darn” Football: I told ya Week 1, might as well sticky this one here. It’s no secret that I love offense and I especially love the running game. I’d love to see Dan Mullen brush off the Relf-fense and run the ball 70% of the time. But I’ll settle for something in the neighborhood of a 60-40 split. Beat up what should be a smaller, overmatched D.

Related Story: Mississippi State's Running Back Problem

2. Use The Big RBs: If we’re gonna pound the ball down the Minutemen’s collective throat, we better have the right personnel in the game to accomplish the task. As I detailed earlier in the week, I thought we actually did a good job in terms of the number of touches Brandon Holloway got against LSU. The problem was that most of those touches were on the inside zone, i.e. “up the middle,” as most say. Let’s feed Aeris Williams 15-20 times and see what happens. And honestly, I’d have no problem feeding Shump against an opponent like UMass. They won’t be used to a back that’s as physical as him.

3. Dominate The LOS: State needs to win in the trenches. OL needs to dominate and create holes for the RBs. DL needs to manhandle the UMass OL and win at the point of attack. Collapse the pocket and put pressure on Minutemen QB Rick Comis. He’s a redshirt sophomore, so force him to move and make decisions quickly.

Final Thoughts:

State needs to rediscover their identity as a physical football team. Asking Nick Fitzgerald to throw it 30+ times, even against a team like UMass, is not a winning recipe. Fitz’s biggest asset is his legs. Turn him loose to use them. Bring back the read option with a powerback like Aeris. Turn the OL loose to assert their will on a smaller defensive front. Do that and UMass will start to wear down by the 4th quarter.

Defense needs to have a good day tackling, Create some pressure on the young QB and there’s a good chance we can get a couple of turnovers. State’s D has actually played pretty well the first three weeks. The offense has let them down so far. They just need to keep playing hard and giving the offense chances to put it together.

If State gets back to basics, the Dawgs should get the W. Hail State!

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