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 Bulldogs Will Win If…

They don’t turn the ball over.

What made Arizona State’s first half against the Bulldogs so dominant was a Shapen fumble near his own goal line that gave the Sun Devils an easy defensive touchdown. Take those seven points away and you’re looking at a tie game.

The Bulldogs are double-digit point favorites, but Toledo is capable of pulling off the upset in Starkville. One of the key ingredients in the recipe for an upset win is to force turnovers. Even if the turnover doesn’t result in any points, it still steals a possession away giving the bigger school fewer chances to score points.

Shapen hasn’t thrown an interception in two games (hopefully that’s not a jinx), but the Bulldogs have committed five fumbles. That’s about five more than coach Jeff Lebby would like to see on the stat sheet, even in rainy weather.

The Bulldogs have also gotten lucky with only one of those five fumbles recovered by the defense. Anyone who has played with a football knows that ball is capable of taking crazy bounces and the Bulldogs’ two fumbles against EKU took a lucky bounce straight toward another Bulldog.

That kind of luck doesn’t last long and Mississippi State probably shouldn’t tempt fate much more.

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Mississippi State Faces Toledo: Remember the Rockets’ 2015 Upset of Arkansas?

Mississippi State vs. Toledo: Can the Rockets’ Experience Lead to an Upset?

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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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