1. What can Mississippi State University expect from sophomore quarter Dak Prescott in his first start?
MSU coach Dan Mullen will get a chance to see what the sophomore Prescott can do when he’s asked to run the full spread offense scheme Saturday against Alcorn State University. MSU (0-1) must rebound after going without a touchdown against No. 13 Oklahoma State University for only the third time in the Mullen era. Against OSU, Prescott failed to move the offense and was 7 of 17 for 89 yards with an interception. “We’re just going to run our offense,” Mullen said. “Dak’s going to run it a little different flavor than Tyler runs it. (He is) a little bit more athletic of a guy. Schematically we’re not going to change a whole lot.”
2. Can MSU be more aggressive with its pass rush?
Mullen and new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins were pleased with the defense’s ability to contain OSU’s high-powered passing game. Collins promised “juice” and “havoc” and fulfilled that promise by blitzing from all angles. MSU will need that pressure to continue and will need it to result in sacks, which were last week against OSU.
3. Against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent, will MSU open up its passing game?
Mullen said the film review of the loss to OSU showed waiting for the perfect moment for a deep throw never materialized, which was a reason MSU was 2-for-16 on third-down conversions against OSU. “They gave us something (and) I never got to it,” Mullen said Monday. “You were waiting on it. With a lot of play calling you’re waiting on situations sometimes. We should have gotten to stuff early.”
4. How will MSU deal with the injuries it suffered against OSU?
Mullen said Monday junior safety Jay Hughes, “the quarterback of the defense,”: will miss the rest of the season after he tore his right Achilles tendon suffered in the first quarter against OSU. With three or four starters out of the lineup, MSU will need to develop chemistry. Along with Tyler Russell at quarterback, two other MSU starters — junior right guard Justin Malone (left leg) and junior middle linebacker Ferlando Bohanna — are “doubtful” for Saturday’s game.
5. How long will Alcorn State’s depth issue be a problem?
Schools in the FCS are limited to 63 scholarships, which is 22 less than Football Bowl Subdivision teams. ASU has had five head coaches in the past six seasons. It has been picked to finish last in the Southwestern Athletic Conference this season.
Players to Watch
MSU
Sophomore QB Dak Prescott
Prescott is expected to make his first career start Saturday. Last week against No. 13 OSU, Prescott failed to move the offense and was 7 of 17 for 89 yards and an interception. Will he improve when given a chance to run the spread option offense for an entire game.
Junior S Kendrick Market
The South Panola High School product provided a stop-gap at safety after Hughes’ injury. Collins could swap Market with sophomore Dee Arrington at strong safety to make sure other players in front are lined up correctly.
Alcorn State
Senior RB Arnold Walker
Walker had 16 carries for 75 yards and a career-high three touchdowns last week in a 63-12 victory against Edward Waters.
Sophomore CB Anthony Williams Jr.
Williams Jr. intercepted a pass and forced a fumble on special teams last week. He also was credited with two tackles.
Numbers of the game
40
Number of consecutive starts for MSU senior left guard Gabe Jackson, which is second in the nation.
3
Number of times in the past 30 years MSU has started 0-2.
42
Average margin of victory in MSU’s three home-opening victories under coach Dan Mullen.
Follow Matt Stevens on Twitter @matthewcstevens.
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