Mississippi State Football: Bulldogs vs #22 Golden Hurricane Armed Forces Bowl Prediction
Mississippi State Football: Bulldogs vs. #22 Golden Hurricane Prediction
The first season of Mississippi State Football under the Mike Leach Era will end like the last ten as the Bulldogs will make an appearance in a bowl game for the eleventh straight year. Bowl Season this year is unlike previous years, as records do not matter. Mississippi State (3-7) will take on the #22 Tulsa Golden Hurricanes (6-2) in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl at 11:00 AM on New Year’s Eve.
This year of Bulldog football was expected to be a year of transition and adjustments as Mike Leach brought his Air Raid offense to Starkville. Mississippi State Football has shown growth over this season as the Bulldogs and almost every college football team dealt with COVID-19 issues all season long.
The regular season ended with the most balanced performance of the season in a 51-32 victory over Missouri. The Bulldogs ran for over 100 yards for the first time all season, and I finally got my wish from Coach Leach to run the football. Will Rogers and Jaden Walley continued to showcase the chemistry they have created with each other, which bodes very well for the future.
The Bulldogs will have one final game in 2020 to show continued growth and end the season on a high note with a victory in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Scouting the Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Phillip Montgomery coaches the Golden Hurricane football team in his sixth year (31-38). Montgomery has led the Hurricane to three bowls during his tenure, including this season. The Golden Hurricane fell to #7 Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference Championship 27-24.
The Golden Hurricane is led by quarterback Zach Smith who has thrown for 1600 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He is not much of a running threat, and that is a bonus for the Bulldog defense.
On the ground, the Golden Hurricane running backs, Corey Taylor II, Deneric Prince, and T.K. Wilkerson combined to run for 1315 yards and 11 touchdowns. All three have carried the ball 80 plus times, so whichever back is in the game is a potential threat.
The Golden Hurricane also spread the ball around as four receivers have 20 plus receptions. Keylan Stokes (37 rec, 527 yards, 2 TDs), Josh Johnson (37 rec, 495 yards, 6 TDs), JuanCarlos Santana (30 rec, 432 yards, 4 TDs, and Sam Crawford Jr. (24 rec, 333 yards, 1 TD) could give the Bulldog secondary trouble if Smith has time to throw the ball.
On defense, Tulsa lost one of their best players when star linebacker Zaven Collins opted out to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft. You can read Corey Kinnan’s scouting report on Collins here. Collins is a disruptive force, and his absence is a plus for the Bulldog offense.
In the absence of Collins, other defensive leaders include Kendarin Ray (57 tkl, 6 PB), Justin Wright (54 tkl, 8.5 tkl, 1 sack, 1 int), Jaxon Player (32 tkl, 9 tfl, 3 sack), and Anthony Goodlow (31 tkl, 4.5tfl, 3 sack).
Predicting the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Tulsa is a -1.5 favorite to defeat Mississippi State in the Armed Forces Bowl. The ESPN FPI Matchup Predictor also has Tulsa favored by 59.9%. Lucky for us Bulldog fans, football is played on the field. Tulsa is not an opponent to be overlooked due to their conference.
Mississippi State is a passing team, and Tulsa’s strength is stopping the pass. I expect to see a repeat of the offensive balance the Bulldogs showed against Missouri. A balanced attack can keep a defense off balance even if the coach wants to throw it sixty times a game.
Even though Tulsa has had the better season, Mississippi State has played the tougher opponents. This Mississippi State Football team put together its best performance in the home season finale against Missouri, and I predict the Bulldogs defeat #22 Tulsa and earn Mike Leach his first bowl win as an SEC Head Coach.