STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State football team’s victory against the University of Alabama at Birmingham last season provides the ideal example to illustrate the difference between that team and the 2011 squad.
Last season, MSU was coming off a 10-7 victory at the University of Florida, one of the program’s biggest victories since hiring coach Dan Mullen, and was basking in the glow of its first national ranking in a decade.
This season, MSU (2-3) is trying to get a struggling offense going, is reeling after falling out of The Associated Press top 25 and losing three straight Southeastern Conference games, and is playing with an inexperienced defensive front.
“You don’t look at the film and say, ‘Boy, we can’t compete. We need different guys.’ We just need guys executing cleaner,” Mullen said.
Competing at the higher level starts at 11 a.m. today (SportSouth) when MSU takes the field as a 17-point favorite against Conference USA’s University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Mullen knows all the questions about his team’s quarterback play, the injuries to the offensive line, and a lack of a pass rush will be solved with a dominating victory.
“Everything can be solved with wins,” Mullen said. “Every game is independent of where your problems occur. What happens when your guys lack confidence in making a play at times, it’ll compound.”
MSU would be wise not to not let what happened last year at Davis Wade Stadium occur. In 2010, UAB led in the fourth quarter only to see MSU rally for a 29-24 victory.
“UAB is a tough opponent. We saw that last year,” Mullen said. “They took us right down to the wire, so we know we will have our hands full.”
The game marks the second time a Bowl Championship Series team will be the road team at UAB (0-4), and MSU has been that visitor both times. In 2006, MSU went to overtime before
winning 16-10.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for UAB football that they are coming here to play us,” UAB senior linebacker Drew Luker said.
UAB will try to match MSU’s rushing attack with senior Pat Shed, a former Starkville High standout, who will get one more opportunity to compete against the school he grew up following. Shed has recovered from an early season sports hernia injury, and averaged 15 carries in losses to East Carolina and Troy.
Shed, a candidate for the Doak Walker Award, which is given to the nation’s top running back, is averaging only 3.4 yards per carry this season, but he had a team-high 69 yards last year at MSU. The East Mississippi Community College transfer left Davis Wade Stadium with an empty feeling knowing his fumble on the final kickoff sealed MSU’s victory.
“(Shed is) a pretty dynamic guy,” Mullen said. “Not a really big guy, but he can play physical and break tackles. He’s real quick (and has the) ability to make cuts, make you miss, start to the left and put one foot in the ground and he’s around the right end before you can blink an eye.”
UAB coach Neil Callaway expects MSU to reload the running game against a defense that has allowed 139 yards per game and three total touchdowns in its past two games.
“They are a very physical football team in all phases of the game,” Callaway said. “Their quarterback is the key for what they do offensively. He has a big, strong, and (he has a) physical offensive line to play behind. It will be quite a challenge for us defensively.”
Mullen acknowledged senior tailback Vick Ballard didn’t get as many touches as he needed to after he watched the film of his team’s 24-10 loss at the University of Georgia last week. He said the fact MSU trailed early played a role in Ballard not being a bigger factor. After rushing for more than 100 yards the first two weeks, Ballard has 129 rushing yards in the past three games.
“That’s one thing that sticks out to me — boy, we didn’t get the ball to Vick enough,” Mullen said. “Then you look, why didn’t we get the ball Vick? Do we put ourselves in position to get it to him and run our style of game. When you’re down, you have two first-quarter touchdowns … you’ve got yourself out of the flow already. I want to see Vick carry the ball.”
A bigger contribution from Ballard could be a key in helping MSU earn its ninth straight non-conference victory. It could be a win that sparks a winning streak like the one that fueled MSU’s run to a victory in the Gator Bowl and a nine-win season.
“It’s getting to the point everybody is frustrated and tired of losing,” MSU junior wide receiver Chad Bumphis said. “We have to make something happen so we’re winning.”
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