Bold Mississippi State Predictions for 2015

Nov 22, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Ashton Shumpert (32) advances the ball during the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

Bold Mississippi State Prediction #1: Mississippi State will finish in the top 3 in the conference in rushing but not have a single player in the top 5 rushing leaders.

Depth is the name of the game to this prediction. The Bulldogs lost a great back in Josh Robinson. But they also have a plethora of running backs ready to step up and take his place. And because of that, no one is going to have a season with such gaudy numbers that it will get recognized.

Ashton Shumpert will likely get more carries and more yards than any other back on the team, but Holloway, Lee, and Williams will all get their fair share. This means a fresh back in the game almost every series, but it also means no statistical monsters.

Conventional wisdom says someone grasps hold of the running back position and gets the bulk of the carries. Normally, I would agree. But with the talent in this group, I think it ends up being a pretty balanced workload between the four.

Next: Sacks