Cowbell Corner

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

The Bulldogs showed fight in the second half, but couldn’t overcome Gators’ dominant first half

Taylor Hodges

Florida Gators running back Ja'Kobi Jackson (24) runs the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field.
Florida Gators running back Ja'Kobi Jackson (24) runs the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. / Matt Bush-Imagn Images
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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State’s improved second half performance wasn’t enough to overcome the hole it dug itself in the first half against Florida, losing its third-straight game 45-28.

The Bulldogs trailed the Gators 28-14 at halftime, but that score doesn’t represent how dominant Florida was in the first 30 minutes.

The Gators’ offense gained more than 300 total yards of offense in the half, seemingly running and throwing the ball at-will. Graham Mertz had three touchdown passes, two of which exploited coverage miscues in Mississippi State’s secondary.

The Bulldogs did force their third takeaway of the season when Montrell Johnson Jr. had the ball knocked out of his hands by Isaac Smith. But the Bulldogs offense went three-and-out following the turnover and Florida took a 14-7 lead on its next drive and never lost the lead again.

But just before halftime, Mississippi State’s offense came to life.

Blake Shapen led the Bulldogs 75 yards downfield in less than a minute, capping the drive with just 23 seconds left in the half with a three-yard run. That momentum boost carried over into the second half, too.

The Bulldogs’ defense forced Florida into a three-and-out to start the second half. The offense then had one of its longest drives of the season, a 13-play, 76-yard drive that lasted 6:43. Most importantly, it ended with a 13-yard touchdown catch by Jordan Mosley that made the score 28-21.

The Gators responded with another touchdown drive that extended their lead to 35-21.

Mississippi State’s hopes of a comeback ended when its offense failed to convert a fourth-and-goal from the two-yard line and Florida easily drove the down the field and scored another touchdown.

The loss drops the Bulldogs record to 1-3 and 0-1 in SEC play. To make matters worse, two of Mississippi State's most important players left the with injuries.

Shapen left the game in the fourth quarter with the Bulldogs trailing by 21 points and Smith left the game after an illegal blindside block in the second half. No specific details of their injuries have been made available.

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Taylor Hodges

TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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