Florida Defeats Mississippi State: 5 Critical Stats from the Game

Gators get a much needed win and Bulldogs learn there's still a lot of work to do in this rebuild

Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Blake Shapen (2) walks off the field after a turnover against the Florida Gators during the third quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. / Matt Bush-Imagn Images

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Both Mississippi State and Florida needed a win Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium, but it was the Gators who left with smiles on their faces.

There are lots of ways to explain how Florida came into Starkville and silenced the cowbells. Here are five stats that tell that story:

2

That’s the total number of incompletions thrown by Florida quarterbacks Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway threw in Saturday’s game. And Lagway didn’t have either of them. That’s a 93 percent completion percentage. No matter who was at quarterback, the Gators had no issues throwing the ball for 277 yards.

240

That’s the number of rushing yards Mississippi State gained and the number of passing yards it gained. Florida’s run defense hasn’t been much better than the Bulldogs’ this season and Mississippi State was able to exploit that weakness for the most rushing yards against an FBS team so far this season.

8/70

That’s the total number of penalties called on Mississippi State and the number of yards lost from those penalties. Penalties are never a “good thing” but Mississippi State’s offense hasn’t been able to overcome the negative situations the penalties have put the Bulldogs in.

21

That’s the number of unanswered points Florida scored in the second quarter. Mississippi State ended the streak with a three-yard rushing touchdown by Blake Shapen with 23 seconds left in the first half. It was a deficit that proved too much for the Bulldogs to overcome.

2-for-3

That was Mississippi State’s fourth down conversion rate against Florida. The two fourth down conversions were important, but the one the Bulldogs didn’t convert mattered more. Trailing 35-21 at the start of the third quarter, the Bulldogs faced fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line. The Bulldogs ran a speed option and Shapen’s pitch missed its target resulting in a fumble recovered by Florida. So, instead of being down 35-28, the Bulldogs went down 42-21 after the Gators drove for another touchdown.

Read More:

Florida Hands Mississippi State Third-Straight Loss, 45-28

Mississippi State's Defensive Woes Continue in Loss to Florida

Signs of Progress: Mississippi State Offense Shows Growth in Tough Florida Loss

What Went Wrong For Mississippi State Against Florida?