The Mississippi State Bulldogs face a “must win” game against the BYU Cougars on Friday night.
That’s not to say the Dawgs are playing for Dan Mullen’s job. They aren’t. Sure, Mullen has been on the hot seat ever since the team dropped the season opener to South Alabama. But, it seems highly unlikely that MSU would dump him after one bad year, given that he’s the only coach in school history that’s guided the program to back-to-back nine-win seasons. Win or lose, he’ll be the guy in Starkville next year.
With that said, the Bulldogs need a win over BYU to salvage the season. Because of the embarrassing loss to South Alabama, Mississippi State needs four more wins to qualify for a bowl game. While that doesn’t seem like such a tall order with seven games remaining, it’s important to note that the Dawgs close out the year with four straight contests against ranked opponents.
Since there’s very little margin for error against a schedule that tough, Friday night’s contest is a “must win” game for Mississippi State. A victory over the Cougars would help the Bulldogs get some much needed momentum heading into next week’s game with Kentucky. Assuming MSU takes care of business against the Wildcats, it should be 5-3 heading into the aforementioned brutal four-game stretch to conclude the 2016 campaign.
If – and it’s a big if – the Dawgs are 5-3 at that point of the season, they have to like their chances to make it to a bowl game. While winning these contests won’t be easy, there’s no reason to think that Mississippi State can’t pull out a few victories along the way. After all, the Bulldogs have won the last four meetings with Arkansas, including the 2013 season when they had to get a “W” just to have a shot at the postseason. Similarly, the Dawgs conclude the year against Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl, which has produced an upset or two over the past few seasons. Should State win both of those games, it would finish the 2016 campaign with a winning record, which no one would have thought possible after the way the season began.
Of course, that’s not going to happen if the Bulldogs don’t win against BYU on Friday night. That won’t be an easy task. The Cougars come into the contest with loads of confidence after thrashing Michigan State 31-14 last week. The Mississippi State defense — which allows just 3.67 yards per carry — will have its hands full with BYU running back Jamaal Williams, who ranks third in the nation in rushing yards per game, averaging 144.3 yards per contest.
While this will be a challenge, it’s a contest that Mississippi State must win in order to qualify for a bowl game this year. It’ll be interesting to see if the Bulldogs rise to the occasion.
