Cowbell Corner

How Mississippi State avoided husky-sized upset from Northern Illinois

The Bulldogs won 38-10 to improve to 4-0 this season, but if a few plays have different outcomes, we may be talking about a 3-1 record.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State wide receiver Anthony Evans III sprints away from Northern Illinois defensive back Ty Myles in Saturday's game.
Mississippi State wide receiver Anthony Evans III sprints away from Northern Illinois defensive back Ty Myles in Saturday's game. | Mississippi State Athletics

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Arkansas RazorbacksNorthern Illinois Huskies

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Trap games are hard to avoid and even harder to escape once you find yourself in one.

That’s where Mississippi State found itself Saturday afternoon at Davis Wade Stadium.

The Bulldogs entered the game 3-0 riding high with a win over then-No. 12 Arizona State and a huge 63-0 blowout against Alcorn State.

And next week is the start of SEC play, at home against No. 15 Tennessee. It’s human nature to look past a smaller opponent when there’s a giant just behind.

ICYMI: Random thoughts about Mississippi State's win against Northern Illinois

Whether or not Mississippi State’s players were already looking ahead to the Volunteers isn’t known. Even if they were asked about it, they’d say all the right things.

What is known is the Huskies came into Davis Wade Stadium and, for the first 30 minutes at least, gave everyone in maroon flashbacks to last season when Toledo came to Starkville and dominated the Bulldogs.

We also know what happened in the second half against the Huskies. Mississippi State scored points every time it touched the ball, and Northern Illinois didn’t score any.

But if you look at a few individual plays, things might’ve gone a lot different.

Play No. 1

The situation:

:25 1Q
MSU 7, NIU 3
4th-and-8 at MSU ball at own 6

What happened:

Nathan Tyce punt 21 yards to MSU 27.

What could’ve happened:

Of all the bad things that could’ve happened to the Bulldogs, this was the best result. The snap could’ve been too high and fly out the back of the end zone. Or the snap is bobbled and blocked (kind of like what happened to the Huskies later)?

Northern Illinois could’ve had a safety or touchdown, but had to settle for a very short field that resulted in a 24-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter, giving the Huskies a 10-7 lead.

Northern Illinois didn’t make us wait long for the next important play.

Play No. 2

The situation:

14:51 2Q
NIU 10, MSU 7
Kickoff

What happened:

Northern Illinois attempts an onside kick that is recovered by Mississippi State the Huskies’ 48-yard line. Ten plays later, Blake Shapen connects with Seydou Traore for a one-yard touchdown that put the Bulldogs ahead 14-10.

What could’ve happened:

The Huskies recover the onside kick and fans in maroon hit the panic button.

This is one of the most important plays. If Northern Illinois recovers the onside kick not only would they have possession but also all the momentum. Even if no points are scored, the entire tenor of the game changes and then who knows what happens.

Play No. 3

The situation:

8:45 3Q
MSU 21, NIU 10
3rd-and-11, NIU ball at MSU 20

What happened:

Isaac Smith gets his first career interception in the end zone.

What could’ve happened:

Huskies’ quarterback Josh Holst throws a touchdown pass or the huskies kick a field goal. Either one would turn the game into a single possession lead for the Bulldogs and that’s when trick plays or more onside kicks could start coming.

Play No. 4

The situation:

13:36, 4Q
MSU 28, NIU 10
4th-and-5, NIU ball at MSU 40

What happened:

Northern Illinois’s conversion attempt comes up one yard short of a first down, which put an end to any comeback attempt by the Huskies.

What could’ve happened:

The Huskies convert the fourth down attempt, continuing driving down the field and score a touchdown. A field here wouldn’t help that much.

But a 28-17 score with more than 13 minutes still left to play? It’s close enough to give the Huskies hope.

There was another fourth down stop on the ensuing Northern Illinois possession, but this stop was much more dramatic.

There you have it. Four plays that if they ended differently or had a different result, the entire game changes.

And, yes, there are more plays we could list. If Shapen connects with Jordan Mosley or Brenen Thompson on either of their deep ball incompletions, the game changes a lot better in favor of the Bulldogs.

The point is to show how close the difference is between winning and losing. And next week, plays like these will be a whole lot more important.

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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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