Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State vs. Toledo: Key Factors for Victory in Saturday’s Showdown

What will it take for the Bulldogs and Rockets to win at Davis Wade Stadium

Taylor Hodges

Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby reacts against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium.
Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby reacts against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The Rockets Will Win If…

Their defense gets three or more sacks.

That’s what Arizona State’s defense did last week to Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen and it worked. The Sun Devils even forced a fumble on one sack that was picked up and returned for a touchdown. Shapen still threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns, but a lot of that was in the second half.

The Sun Devils also had two quarterback hits. They didn’t force any interceptions, but sacks are drive killers and a good pass rush can throw a quarterback out of rhythm. So, forcing turnovers isn’t exactly the objective (it certainly wouldn’t hurt, though).

In his time at Baylor and in two games for the Bulldogs, Shapen has shown he can be deadly with a clean pocket

Eastern Kentucky didn’t apply the same type of pressure and ended up losing 56-7. The Colonels had just one sack and two quarterback hits. Of course, there is a large talent gap between Mississippi State and Eastern Kentucky and I’m not sure if five sacks would’ve been enough for the Colonels to win. But the game would’ve been a lot closer than 49 points.

Should Toledo get three sacks, it’s fair to assume there’s defensive pressure on Shapen that doesn’t make it on the stat sheet.

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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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