Evaluating Mississippi State at the Halfway Point

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Oct 10, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Fred Ross (8) breaks the tackle of Troy Trojans safety Demetrius Cain (21) during the second quarter of the game at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Most Surprising Player: Fred Ross

Fred Ross is putting together quite a year, and he is doing it without a ton of recognition. A lot people projected Fred Ross to be a solid contributor, but I don’t know that many of us saw this coming.

Ross is doing an amazing job of capitalizing off of the attention the opposing defenses are giving to De’Runnya Wilson. There has been a clear attempt to take Dak Prescott’s favorite target from a year ago. It has worked to some varying degree.

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One of the unintended consequences of paying so much attention to Wilson has been the opportunities it has opened up for Fred Ross to shine. Most people anticipated Fred Ros and Fred Brown picking up some slack with Jameon Lewis graduating in 2014, but few expected either of them to be the leading receiver.

At the halfway point, Fred Ross leads the team in receptions and receiving yards. He has done well in finding holes underneath the coverage and has been a great option for Dak Prescott to turn to when the defense makes it a point to shut down De’Runnya Wilson.

And while Ross is starting to thrive, his production has allowed Wilson to make some big plays. Wilson averages almost 16 yards per reception, and he leads the team in receiving touchdowns. The two are one of the most lethal receiving duos in the conference.

Next: Defensive Most Surprising Player

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