What We Learned: Mississippi State Versus Northwestern State

Sep 19, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Justin Johnson (81) and wide receiver Donald Gray (6) and running back Ashton Shumpert (32) celebrate after a touchdown by Shumpert during the first quarter of the game against the Northwestern State Demons at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Mississippi State has become a pass first team

First things first. The running game looked solid against the Demons on Northwestern State. There were nine players for the Bulldogs who carried the ball. They totaled 37 carries for 275 yards. So that’s pretty good.

But the running game looked forced at times instead of an easy walk in the park against a team that had given up close to 800 yards rushing in the two games prior to this one. Mississippi State should have been able to run with ease every time they tried, but it wasn’t quite that simple. The running game was good, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t quite as dynamic as I thought it would be.

Meanwhile, the receivers looked like they could have run for days regardless of who was receiving the snaps (more on that in a minute). 10 players made 16 receptions for 372 yards. And Donald Gray put on a show.

I’ve been a big fan of what Donald Gray could bring to the team, so I was happy to see him get on the field and contribute. He also did it while being covered really well by the Northwestern State secondary. He had 4 catches and 140 yards for the day.

Between all three quarterbacks, there were only two incompletions and 4 touchdown passes. The offense runs smoother and clicks more when Mississippi state is passing, and it was even more evident today. On a day when the running game should have easily outshined the passing game, it couldn’t because the passing game is on a much higher level than the running game.

Next: Bulldogs will be fine at quarterback the next few years