Keep on Rollin'

Congratulations are in order... The Bulldogs of Mississippi State University are ranked #24 in both the AP and Coaches polls for the first time in just under a decade. If you remember my pre-game blog for the Florida game last week, you'll see I gave the Bulldogs a fighting chance to come away with the win, which they did.

Now comes relatively unknown territory for MSU, as they are in the midst of their longest winning streak since 1999. This calls for some special attention from the coaches in order to keep the players' heads on straight. To take a page from Vince Lombardi, we need to act like we've been here before. So with that in mind, Mississippi State needs to keep on rollin' and keep up the momentum.

REO Speedwagon - Roll With the Changes

I knew it had to happen
Felt the tables turning
Got me through my darkest hour

I heard the thunder clapping
Felt the desert burning
Until you poured on me
Like a sweet sun-shower

So if you`re tired
Of the same old story
Oh, turn some pages
I`ll be here when you are ready
To roll with the changes
Ohhhhh, yeah....

The now 5-2 Bulldogs are playing for the opportunity to become bowl-eligible in October, which is a great feeling for the coaches, players and fans. But if ever there was a trap game, it's... NEXT WEEK! I'm serious, I just can't imagine Dan Mullen letting these Dawgs get so lazy that a team like UAB sneaks up and takes one from them. We will leave that to the Ole Miss Rebel Black Bears Country Jamboree and Petting Zoo's of the world. That being said, let's take a look at it anyway...

KEYS TO THE GAME -
OFFENSE - Facing the final non-conference opponent of the season the Bulldogs will likely look to jump out to an early lead, which would allow Dan Mullen to sub in several second and third string players. The benefits are two-fold. First off taking our starting lineup out of the game early keeps them from being injured and keeps them fresh for the upcoming games. Furthermore, the extra game-time snaps give much needed experience to the players in backup positions.
If MSU jumps out to a solid lead in the first half don't be surprised to see Tyler Russell in mop-up duty for much of the game. Russell needs these reps to become further acclimated to the speed of the game at the college level, as he will likely be the projected starter at QB next season.

DEFENSE - For the defense, Manny Diaz will probably not show a lot that we haven't seen yet. That's not to say the defense won't be blitzing a healthy amount of the time, but Diaz and Wilson will likely be rotating a lot of guys out on the Defensive side of the ball as well, so their main focus here will be getting game reps to backup players.
The defensive line has been more than satisfactory during this four game win streak, and the secondary has done their share as well. Any time you rotate newer players into the mix you will have some mistakes. The key for these young guys is to bounce back and make the stops.

BOTTOM LINE -
KEEP ON ROLLIN' - Mississippi State will become bowl eligible with a win this weekend. After that they face a Kentucky team on Halloween Eve that has been hot and cold this season. A win there and the Bulldogs will have a 6 game win streak and improve their bowl stock with each successive win. The end of the season is never easy, with games against Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss yet to come. When common sense dictates that the Bama and Arkansas games could very well be losses, racking up as many W's as possible is key to landing a desirable bowl berth.

WILD AND WOOLLY PREDICTION -
MSU 47 UAB 13

REALISTIC PREDICTION -
MSU 35 UAB 14