Mississippi State Football: Forty-Nine Bulldogs Fight to the End in Loss to Georgia
Mississippi State Football: Forty-Nine Bulldogs Fight to the End in Loss to Georgia
The Mississippi State Football team traveled to Athens, Georgia to battle the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday night. Mississippi State was down to only forty-nine scholarship players against a very healthy Georgia team.
Due to Covid-19, both teams would have an extra week to prepare for each other. Georgia was a heavy favorite against a Mississippi State team that is drastically different from the team that upset LSU in Tiger Stadium in September. The Battle of the SEC Bulldogs was on, and Mississippi State fans, despite the loss, have to be proud of what they saw from their team on Saturday night.
49 Bulldogs Battled to the End
I liken this football game to the movie 47 Ronin. The movie is about forty-seven samurai who have lost their honor, their leader, their fight to avenge him and regain their honor.
In the end, they earn their honor back and are permitted to be buried with their master, who was also pardoned. One point to add is the move is based on a true story.
The Mississippi State Football team played a football game against insurmountable odds like the Ronin, and while they failed to gain the victory, they excited a wary fanbase with the Egg Bowl looming next week.
Will Rogers started his second game of the season, and he was amazing. Rogers finished the game with 336 yards and one touchdown on 41-52 passing. Rogers spread the ball around to ten different receivers.
True Freshman Jaden Walley led all Hail State pass catchers with seven receptions for 115 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown catch and run down the sideline. Another true Freshman, Dillon Johnson, scored twice on short runs, and Brandon Ruiz would add a 22-yard field goal to cap off the scoring for Mississippi State.
The Mississippi State defense also played inspiringly, despite missing key players. They held Georgia to eight yards rushing and sacked JT Daniels three times. Georgia was able to take advantage of a young secondary for all four of their touchdowns. With all of the odds against Mississippi State, the Bulldogs still had a chance to win the game.
There are a few crucial calls defensively that boggled my mind. Georgia was 8-13 on third down and scored the winning touchdown on 3rd-20 on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to Kearis Jackson. On that play, and several other similar situations, Mississippi State sent the house, and Daniels made the Mississippi State pay.
Martin Emerson led all Bulldogs defenders with eleven solo tackles. Erroll Thompson and Jaden Crumedy each had a sack. Aaron Brule and Marquis Spencer combined for a sack.
The great thing about this game is the Mississippi State offense showed signs of life for the second straight game. With hated rival Ole Miss and next on the schedule, the offensive awakening tonight gives hope that Mississippi State should be able to move the ball against a Rebel defense that is last in the SEC in total defense and points allowed per game in the Egg Bowl.