Mississippi State vs. Samford Prediction, Game Preview

Mississippi State vs. Samford prediction and game preview. Projecting who wins the matchup between the two Bulldogs.

Mississippi State vs. Samford Game Preview

When: Saturday, October 29 – 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field, Starkville, MS
TV Broadcast: SEC Network

Mississippi State’s tough season got tougher on Saturday as a 51-yard field goal by Kentucky gave the Bulldogs a 40-38 defeat and dropped them to 2-5. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald threw for just 81 yards and one touchdown with one interception but rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

Samford is 6-1 and coming off a win against Western Carolina. Quarterback Devlin Hodges had a big game through the air, throwing for 375 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for another in the win.

What To Know About Mississippi State

The Bulldogs somehow scored 38 points while only gaining 362 total yards in the loss to Kentucky. Fitzgerald must learn to pass the ball if he is going to be a good quarterback. If he does, the combination of his arm and legs could be dangerous.

The defense will look to put pressure on Hodges, as the Samford running game has not done much this season, averaging just 98.3 yards per game on the ground.

What to Know About Samford

For Samford, the offense lives and dies with Hodges and his arm. The Bulldogs are No. 3 in the FCS in passing offense, throwing for 362.9 yards per game. Doing that against a SEC defense will be much different than, say, Western Carolina, but Samford could have some success.

The defense for Samford will try and force Fitzgerald to beat them with his arm. If Fitzgerald can get outside the pocket and run, it will be a long day for the Bulldogs from Birmingham.

Advantages

Offense: Samford. Until proven otherwise, the Mississippi State offense is unreliable.

Defense: Mississippi State. Defensive lineman A.J. Jefferson has 10 tackles for a loss and four sacks.

Special Teams: Mississippi State. The Bulldogs will need to put the offense in good field position.

Coaching: Mississippi State. Picking against Pat Sullivan, 1971 Heisman Trophy winner at Auburn, was difficult. You know what, I’m changing this to a tie.

Intangibles: Mississippi State. The Bulldogs need to get back on the winning side of things.

Matchup To Watch

Devlin Hodges vs. Mississippi State defense

Mississippi State is below average in pass defense, allowing 234.7 yards per game.

Mississippi State vs. Samford Betting Odds

Spread: None available as of post
Over/Under: None available as of post