Cowbell Corner

Arizona State at Mississippi: The Bulldogs' chance for redemption has arrived

Last year Arizona State ran wild. This year? Mississippi State brings a bigger defense, 60,000 cowbells, and plenty of belief to Davis Wade.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Fans during the game between the Missouri Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, MS.
Mississippi State Fans during the game between the Missouri Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

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Mississippi State BulldogsArizona State Sun Devils

Whatever level of anticipation or excitement was felt about Mississippi State’s season-opening game last has been amplified a hundred times over this week.

This feels like one of the biggest games in recent memory for Mississippi State. It certainly feels bigger than any games last year and the year before that and it makes sense.

A top 15-ranked team is coming to Davis Wade Stadium a year after the Bulldogs made the journey west and got demolished by that team. The Bulldogs spent the entire offseason trying to improve and the early signs are positive which only fuels the excitement.

How to watch: No. 11 Arizona State at Mississippi State

Throw in the fan base’s desire to see a winning team, $9 million worth of stadium enhancements, an opposing coach who stirred the pot, and the belief that this Mississippi State team is good. And the Sun Devils may be walking into a living nightmare.

A year ago, that belief got crushed by Arizona State when they ran for over 350 yards against a defense that was clearly outmatched and undersized.

Will the Sun Devils crush Mississippi State’s belief again this year? No.

But I do expect Arizona State to win.

ICYMI: Can EA College Football 26 predict Arizona State at Mississippi State?

What happened last season in the Arizona desert won’t happen this time. The Sun Devils won’t run wild against this Mississippi State defense. It’ll be truly close game and not just one that looks close on the final scoreboard.

On defense…

The defensive line is bigger and better. Yes, the Bulldogs showed a lot of three-man fronts against Southern Miss, but also showed an ability for that front to be successful at stopping the run.

I also suspect that defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler has some surprises for the Sun Devils.

But Jordan Tyson, Arizona State’s All-American wide receiver, presents a problem that isn’t easily solved.

The Bulldogs’ secondary looked good last week, getting an interception and seven pass breakups. But that was against Southern Miss. The Sun Devils are much better and the Bulldogs were far from perfect, especially in the second quarter.

So how will the Bulldogs defend Tyson? Kelley Jones is talented, but can he lockdown Tyson by himself? One play we saw last week against Southern Miss gives me some doubts about that.

It was the second quarter play Southern Miss receiver Carl Chester made catching a ball down the sideline that put the Golden Eagles inside the five-yard line. As soon I saw it, I immediately thought about that happening with Tyson and how dangerous that could be.

Will Mississippi State always have a safety over the top? Perhaps, but that potentially opens the door for other receivers to exploit a one-on-one matchup.

On offense…

How many of the mistakes made last week can be fixed in one week? It’s not just the 14 penalties or Blake Shapen’s interception, either. But the reasons some of those penalties were made (like, tight end Cam Ball getting beat on Kamario Taylor’s touchdown run and being flagged for holding) are things that need to be fixed.

Then there’s the offensive line. At times last week, this unit played great. Davon Booth ran for 37 yards on three-straight run plays and Jimothy Lewis nearly dragged Booth in for a touchdown in the second half.

But there were a lot of mistakes. From illegal formations to missed blocks forcing running backs to avoid tackles in the backfield. Also, don’t discount the impact a snap off-center can have.

Throw in the injuries to Blake Steen and Luke Work (no official word on their status) and there are some doubts.

Don’t get me wrong, the offensive line is better. Zack Owens looked really good at right guard and Albert Reese IV looked great, too. But we need to see how this unit plays against a team not in a rebuild.

Final Thoughts

I hope I’m wrong. Saturday night will be a lot more fun if I’m wrong.

I can’t fathom how crazy of an environment Davis Wade Stadium would turn into if Mississippi State wins. Or even if the game is close (which I expect it to be). And I’ve always wanted to see a field storming in-person, but not at the ground level.

And maybe I am wrong? Maybe Davon Booth and Fluff Bothwell do to Arizona State what was done to Mississippi State last year?

Maybe Blake Shapen turns into Dak Prescott or Joe Burrow?

Maybe the Sun Devils don’t have a defender that can keep up with Brenen Thompson?

Maybe the Bulldogs’ defensive line makes a dominant impact similar to the Philadelphia Eagles in the most recent Super Bowl?

Maybe Jones has his coming out party as a future All-American?

Maybe, maybe, maybe…it’s just too many maybes and not enough certainty to predict an upset.

Final Score Prediction: 43-42, Arizona State.

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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, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. 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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