Projecting Mississippi State Football Offensive Output for 2015

It’s never to early to start looking at 2015 as football will be back before you know it.  Many pundits have starting breaking down the SEC and if you listen to some, you would think Mississippi State will take a major hit offensively, considering the loss of Josh Robinson, three offensive linemen and some key receivers, but the numbers tell you differently when you break them down.

The Bulldogs have enjoyed a half a decade of success on the offensive side of the ball and all things point to a continued success in 2015 when you look inside Mississippi State’s offensive output.

While this has been a progression over the years, what we have seen is a gradual climb in Dan Mullen’s offensive production starting all the way back in 2010.  In 2010, Mullen’s team averaged right at 29-points per game, while reeling off 185-yards per game in the air and 216 on the ground; all of these again are per game averages.

The Bulldogs have done nothing but climb higher and higher each year and that is a credit to the players understanding the system and great recruiting and evaluation.

2011 was the worst year points production wise in this stretch as the Bulldogs averaged 25-PPG, but the offense was extremely balanced as they passed for 181-ypg and rushed for 175 ypg.

2014 witnessed the Bulldogs best year under Mullen as the Bulldogs averaged 37-PPG, doing so again at a very balanced pace.  The Bulldogs rushed for 233-ypg and threw for 281-ypg.  2014 also set the standard for Bulldog pace of play as Mississippi State ran 73-plays per game on offense.

So just what can we expect for 2015 when talking about the Bulldogs offense and production?  Expect more of the same, which is balance, balance and more balance.  Over the last three years the Bulldogs have averaged right at 33-passing attempts per game so you know they should be around 35 with a returning senior leader at quarterback.  Over the last two years the Bulldogs have averaged right at 42-rushing plays per game and even though Robinson is gone, expect the Bulldogs to again hit that 40-carry per game mark as Mullen’s team has done so four of the last five years.

If I were a betting man, I would say this offense should be good for just over 30-points per game in 2015, and should average 250-yards per game through the air or better and just under 200-yards per game on the ground.

This is all based on returning talent and previous numbers produced by this staff.  Below is a breakdown of the Bulldogs offensive production over the last five years.