Mississippi State football: Five things Bulldogs must do to win Outback Bowl

By Ethan Lee | Dec 31, 2018

OXFORD, MS - NOVEMBER 26: Nick Fitzgerald #7 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs runs the ball for a touchdown during a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 26, 2016 in Oxford, Mississippi. The Bulldogs defeated the Rebels 55-20. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

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STARKVILLE, MS – OCTOBER 06: Cameron Dantzler #3 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs celebrates a win over the Auburn Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Starkville, Mississippi. The Mississippi State Bulldogs won 23-9. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Create a solid lead in the first, or second, quarter

If the Bulldogs are going to come away with a win in the Outback Bowl, it would certainly help if MSU was able to get out to a lead early on in the game. The last thing the Mississippi State Bulldogs need is to have to overcome any sort of deficit down the stretch.

State is far from being polished or precise with its passing attack, so MSU must make sure that it doesn’t have to throw the ball frequently to get back into a game. If the Bulldogs can patiently run down the clock by reliably running the ball, then things should go well.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are far from being great on offense and only accumulate 389.7 yards per game. If State claims an early lead and forces the Hawkeyes to try and catch up, they could have a difficult time doing so.

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