Tag: Mississippi State Bulldogs

Staff predictions for Florida at Mississippi State in Week 4

Here are predictions from the three members of the Gators Wire staff for Florida’s Week 4 road game at Mississippi State.

Florida football hits the road this weekend to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs for its first game of the 2024 campaign away from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

After starting 1-2, Billy Napier and Co. are desperate for a victory — especially one against a Southeastern Conference opponent — as the schedule only gets more difficult after this weekend.

The good news is that the Gators should have the upper hand against the ‘Dogs as many metrics have the Starkville squad at the bottom of their SEC standings. The bad news is that the Orange and Blue have not been much better.

Below is a look at the Gators Wire staff’s predictions for the upcoming game with an explanation of why we believe in the outcome we project.

Adam Dubbin

Florida has looked rough against both FBS opponents it has faced so far — but to be fair, both Miami and TAMU are in the US LBM Coaches Poll top 25 after Week 3. The good news is that the next opponent might be the weakest team in the SEC this fall, and despite playing on the road for the first time this season, should provide the program a chance to find its bearings… we hope, at least.

As of Wednesday, BetMGM has the Gators favored by six points while the SP+ predictions foresee a 64% chance of victory by a margin of 5.5 points with a final score of 32-26, in favor of the visitors. These projections seem pretty realistic, but really, the Orange and Blue need to outperform the expectations if it wants to earn any respect.

I expect a lower-scoring game that will be pretty ugly to watch with UF’s special teams being the difference maker.

Florida 24, Miss. St. 20

David Rosenberg

Florida has a chance to pull itself out of the SEC cellar this weekend with a win over Mississippi State. The Bulldogs have lost back-to-back games at Arizona State and vs. Toledo, compared to the Gators’ two losses against ranked opponents. UF will be favored coming into the road matchup, but it’s far from a guarantee that the Orange and Blue leave the ‘Sip with a win.
The game plan should be pretty straightforward.

Both Florida and MSU have struggled to move the ball on the ground, ranking 14th and 16th in the conference in rushing yards per game, respectively. That means the team that passes better should be at an advantage. PFF gave the Bulldogs a 39.4 team grade in coverage last week against Toledo, and they’ve yet to cross the 60.0 threshold in the pass rush this year.

Assuming Billy Napier is splitting dropbacks between Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway again, this might be a more Lagway-heavy game. He’ll have time to make his reads and scrambling should be easier than it was against Texas A&M or Miami. Mertz is a great game manager to start the first few drives, but it’s Lagway who will take that big shot down the field and give the team some momentum.

Florida’s secondary needs to step up too, even with all the injuries at the level. This is a game you’d like to have Asa Turner back for, but it doesn’t appear like he’ll be ready. Getting Devin Moore or Ja’Keem Jackson back this week would also be huge. The secondary performed at a replacement level last week — 62.4 in coverage, per PFF — and Mississippi State averages just one yard less through the air per game than Florida.

I think this game has the potential to get out of hand early, in the best of ways. A few deep balls to Elijhah Badger and Chimere Dike, if Eugene Wilson III is inactive for a second straight week, should do the trick. With that being said, this Florida team hasn’t made it easy to bet on them, so I’m predicting a one-score game.

Florida 33, Miss. St. 27

Aidan Gallardo

Disappointing would be an understatement when it comes to Florida’s start to the season. You know it’s bad when the Gators go 1-2 at home, a place where winning is highly expected. And now they have to play their first road game of the season as they travel up to face Mississippi State.

Now, the Bulldogs have been struggling as well which is why this “should” be a winnable game for Florida. But these days, the word winnable can be tossed out the window for this football team.

Mississippi State runs a high-tempo offense under first-year head coach Jeff Lebby, and that could be problematic for the Gators’ defense. The Bulldogs like to air it out, so Florida’s secondary needs to be locked in from the opening snap. Offensively for the Gators, both quarterbacks will still be rotating in different possessions.

We saw how that looked last week but now doing it on the road can be a bit more difficult. Communication has to be important because those cowbells don’t stop ringing up in Starkville.

With all the talk about Billy Napier this week and distractions, on top of how they’ve played in their first three games of the year, I just find it hard to see the Gators winning this one despite Mississippi State having their fair share of struggles as well.

Miss. St. 27, Florida 21

Up next for the Gators

Florida will play their first road game of the season as they travel up to Starkville to play against Mississippi State on Saturday, Sept. 21. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Everything that stood out from Billy Napier’s Wednesday press conference

Billy Napier met with the media on Wednesday as the Gators prepare for their first road game vs. Mississippi State.

The Florida football team (1-2) faces their first road test of the season as they travel up to Starkville, Mississippi to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-2).

Both teams have gotten off to slow starts this year, with the Gators coming off a 33-20 loss to the Texas A&M Aggies and the Bulldogs losing 41-17 at home against the Toledo Rockets.

Each team is looking for a bounce-back victory and with all the headlines surrounding Gators head coach Billy Napier, Florida can really use a win to quiet some of the outside noise.

Napier met with the media on Wednesday and here’s everything that stood out as the team gets ready to travel up to Mississippi State.

Napier on how the team can change things

“Well, I think the big I would tell you, a lot of our conversations this week with players have been about the practice environment relative to habit building,” Napier said. “The intentionality, the intensity, the focus, in particular, the scout periods.”

Napier went on to say, “I think that’s an area where we can improve the quality of those reps from start to finish and all parts working together to get that right, the scout offense, and then the between play process for the defense, I think that’s been the point of emphasis.”

Napier on Mississippi State’s quarterback

“Well, (Blake Shapen’s) got a lot of experience, he’s played a lot of football, and I remember Shapen from high school. Know a lot about him. He’s a gritty player, he’s a good athlete, he’s tough and he’s had success in the past. So I think for me, anytime you’re playing a veteran quarterback, there’s got to be a certain level of awareness about that.”

Napier talks about improvements

“Well, I think the big point of emphasis has just been on improvement. I mean, what is the next opportunity for improvement, the next meeting, the next walkthrough the next practice, and then our intentionality in terms of how we approach that, and we have to learn from our experiences.”

Napier on the Gators first road game

“I think that ultimately, history would say that your first road game in this league is always a struggle,” Napier said. “I think just awareness, I think you try to educate the players. I think you always have a lot of new players, right? So just to educate them, what does that process look like?”

Napier went on to say, “I think continuity and approach is important. I’m sure you make adjustments throughout the years, but we’ve worked with great people in the past, and I think our process reflects that.”

Napier on what motivates him

“My number one, I told the players, is Tuesday prior to practice,” Napier said. “That is number one motivator to me, is to be able to look that group in the eye and see their work pay off. That’s what I’m consumed with, I mean, to be quite honest, with and it really there’s nothing more important to me than that.”

Napier went on to say, “I think ultimately, as a coach, that’s why I do what I do…I want the work to pay off. And I think caliber football is going to get to where we want it to be, where I want it to be, so that they get that return.”

Napier praises the Gators special teams

“Yeah, it’s a bright spot. It’s probably what we’re doing best right now,” Napier said. “The fundamentals and techniques, the organization
and the production, I think we’ve done a good job control over the position in the game. Our specialists are really good, and they’re performing well.”

Napier talks about how he stays positive

“Well, I mean, you grow up in the game,” Napier said. “I think you developed intangibles along the way. You know, every season has its challenges. Even when you maybe are having tremendous success, and then you fall short of a conference championship, or you lose a rivalry game at the end of the year, or you lose the bowl game. Or, I mean, I just think that…there’s a certain resiliency and toughness that come from the game.”

Coming up for the Gators

Florida will play their first road game of the season as they travel up to Starkville to play against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 21. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

ESPN’s SP+ prediction for Florida-Mississippi State in Week 4

The Gators have the upper hand in Starkville against Mississippi State, according to SP+ predictions.

The Florida football team hits the road in Week 4 to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville looking for its first FBS and SEC win of the 2024 campaign.

With embarrassing losses to the Miami Hurricanes in the opening week and the Texas A&M Aggies last week — both in the Swamp — the Gators hope a little time away from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium helps relieve some of the pressure building up under [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his crew.

The good news is that ESPN writer Bill Connelly’s SP+ predictions this week favor the Orange and Blue on the road, foreseeing a 64% chance of victory by a margin of 5.5 points for Florida. The computer model projects a final score of 32-26.

Compare that with the spread for the game (UF, -4.5 points) and a Gators victory predicted by the ATS.

Napier and Co. sit at No. 36 out of 134 FBS schools (8.4 overall rating) in the SP+ rankings coming into Saturday’s affair while the Bulldogs are No. 69 (0.3 rating).

About SP+ predictions

“SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing,” according to ESPN. “It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling — no good predictive system is.

“It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you’re lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you’re strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.”

Up next for the Gators

Florida will play their first road game of the season as they travel up to Starkville to play against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 21. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Billy Napier has had no discussions regarding his future with Florida football

Gators head coach Billy Napier focuses on Week 4 vs. Mississippi State despite the speculation surrounding his job security.

Despite the rumors and speculation floating around regarding Florida football head coach Billy Napier and his job security, he is here to stay. At least for the time being.

With reports of the Gators boosters offering to cover the expenses of Napier’s buyout, this situation has become a major story surrounding this team. But Napier’s job is safe this week based on what he said during Monday’s press conference.

When asked about having discussions regarding his future with the team during Monday’s press conference, Napier shut it down immediately, saying, “No, none.”

He was quickly followed up with a question regarding if a fourth season was a possibility with Florida, barring things continuing to trend downhill, to which Napier said, “Yes. 100%.”

Napier is currently in his third year of his seven-year, $51.8 million contract with the Gators and was asked if he was given a certain amount of time to rebuild the program when he initially signed his contract.

“These are all hypothetical scenarios,” Napier explained. “I think, for me, I’m going to try to model what I would expect from our players, okay?”

Napier went on to say, “We can’t live in the shoulda, coulda, woulda, if then, all that. I think ultimately, we’ve got an obligation to the players and our leadership at the university, to do our best and play well this week. It’s all we can control.”

Napier couldn’t care less to what the outside noise is saying about him because he knows that it won’t go away no matter what.

“It’s never going to go away,” Napier said about managing the external noise. “It’s either going to be because they love you if you win and they hate you if you lose.”

Napier went on to say, “This place has got great history and tradition. You want it get it back there, right? It’s one of the reasons you take the job and accept the challenge.”

Players are still bought in with Napier

Napier made it known that the players still have his support and that there haven’t been any issues with players not being invested with the team.

“We haven’t had that problem,” Napier said. “I’m not saying we wouldn’t have that problem going forward, but I will tell you, we haven’t had that issue.”

Napier went on to say, “We’ve got a group that shows up and again, today, we’ve had two lift groups today. And it’s pedal to the metal. They’re ready to go.”

Offensive lineman Austin Barber talked about how he has his full confidence in Napier during Monday’s press conference.

“Oh, I have 100% confidence in coach Napier and this whole entire staff,” Barber said. “I’ve said it before that I still have the confidence in him.”

Napier prepares for Mississippi State

Napier started out by giving praise to Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby.

“We’re getting ready to transition here into the Mississippi State game,” Napier addressed. “I do think Jeff Lebby is a heck of a coach, first-year head coach, but he’s had great success as an offensive coordinator.”

Napier talked about the challenges of playing on the road, especially in the SEC.

“This is a first road game, first SEC road game,” Napier said. “And we would say, regardless of who you are in this league, when you go play on the road, you have to anticipate that it will be very challenging. It’s (Starkville) a tough place to play.”

Mississippi State plays fast and with a high-tempo offense. Napier talked about how they’ll prepare for it in practice this week.

“Offensively, the tempo is something that we’ll have to try to simulate this week,” Napier pointed out. “And there’s a ton of variables on defense, front pressure, coverage, and then good team speed.”

Up next for the Gators

Florida will play their first road game of the season as they travel up to Starkville to play against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 21. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Brian Kelly explains what Zavion Thomas brings to LSU’s return game: ‘He’s a weapon for us’

Zavion Thomas has the ability to win games for LSU on offense and on special teams.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] took to the transfer portal to pick up a talented wide receiver who is one of the best kick and punt returners in the country. That aforementioned player is [autotag]Zavion Thomas[/autotag].

Thomas transfers to LSU after spending two seasons with the [autotag]Mississippi State Bulldogs[/autotag]. Last season with Mississippi State, he finished the year with 40 receptions for 503 yards and a touchdown. He made more of an impact on special teams than on the offense. He had six kick returns for 143 yards and a touchdown and 14 punt returns for 163 yards.

Kelly was asked about Thomas’s versatility in his press conference this week.

“His presence back there, obviously, allows us better field position,” Brian Kelly said, per On3. “We struggled a lot the past couple of years with the punt return game. He’s been able to get us great field position. Obviously, he’s a weapon for us.

“That’s what we were looking for when we went into the portal, somebody that could do that. Obviously, he got that one opportunity (against Nicholls). Maybe he got a bit too aggressive in terms of taking that out of the endzone. He was probably a little too deep, but he’s been an important part of our special teams.”

Thomas has the ability to win games for LSU on offense and on special teams.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

4 pettiest moments from college football Week 2: Auburn (and Paul Finebaum) are down bad

And Lane Kiffin makes an appearance, because of course

Week 2 of college football always feels a bit less petty than Week 1.

It’s not Week 2’s fault. When fans have all offseason to prepare for the first game of the year, there’s always going to be a bit more smack talk — and a lot more comeuppance.

Never fear, Week 2 this season wasn’t totally devoid of pettiness. And a lot of that has to do with a few SEC teams learning they play some dang good football out West, too.

But we begin in Kentucky, where another white out game has been ruined by the visiting team.

Eastern Kentucky tries (and fails) to ruin Western Kentucky’s white out

This was a very good try by Eastern Kentucky after Miami (FL) successfully pulled off this trick in Week 1 against Florida. However, unlike Florida, Western Kentucky’s white out went on as planned. Also unlike Florida, the Hilltoppers went on to smack their in-state opponent, 31-0.

Then they got to really rub it in.


EKU falls to 0-2 by a combined score of 87-7. Woof.

Arkansas’ Marquise Robinson “domination” talk backfires at Oklahoma State

Remember a year ago when South Alabama shockingly upset Oklahoma State 33-7 in Stillwater? Marquise Robinson does. The defensive back had two solo tackles and an interception for the Jaguars. So after transferring to Arkansas for the 2024 season, he was all amped up for another trip to Stillwater.

“I feel like when we got back this time it’s gonna be a domination,” Robinson said leading up to the game.

You know who else remembers that game? Everyone in Stillwater. And they heard Robinson’s words, too. Maybe if Arkansas had played him, the Razorbacks wouldn’t have choked away a 14-point lead at halftime. Instead, the Cowboys won 39-31 in double overtime and quarterback Alan Bowman got to throw Robinson’s words right back in his face.

Auburn and Paul Finebaum get a taste of California love

The California Golden Bears arrived in Auburn as 10.5-point underdogs and left with one of the most satisfying wins of the season so far.

Not just because the ACC school (still weird!) forced five turnovers while out-gaining the Tigers, 332 yards to 286. Not just because Cal held Auburn to two scores in the 21-14 victory. But because the typical SEC elitests never even believed Cal could compete in this one.

Whoops!

And, naturally, Lane Kiffin got in on the fun.

ASU rings the bell after beating Mississippi State

Speaking of former Pac-12 teams asserting their dominance over the SEC, Arizona State — picked to finish last in the Big 12 — couldn’t wait to troll Mississippi State after picking up a 30-23 victory in Tempe.

No cowbells necessary in the desert. Just victory bells. And also a nice reminder that before we knew them as the Sun Devils, Arizona State’s team in the 1920s were officially recognized as the Bulldogs — 40 years or so before MSU changed to that name.

 


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Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans signs extension through 2027-28 season

Jans will now remain in Starkville through the 2027-28 season.

According to reports, Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans has signed a contract extension that will keep him with the program through the 2027-28 season.

Coming to Starkville after five successful seasons at New Mexico State, Jans has been the head coach of the Bulldogs each of the last two seasons where he has compiled a combined 42-27 overall record, as well as a 16-20 mark in SEC play. Jans has also led Mississippi State to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in those two years, which were losses in the First Four and First Round.

This past season, Jans led Mississippi State to a 21-14 overall record, as well as an 8-10 record in SEC play for the second consecutive season. Mississippi State also made the NCAA Tournament a year ago as mentioned previously, falling in the First Round.

Those two NCAA Tournament appearances were also Mississippi State’s first since the 2018-19 season, as well as the first time the program has made back-to-back trips to the big dance since 2008-09.

Riley Kugel to reportedly stay in SEC, commit to Mississippi State

Florida transfer guard Riley Kugel commits to fellow SEC program.

The transfer portal recruitment of Florida Gators guard Riley Kugel has now reportedly come to an end, as the former four-star prospect committed to the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Thursday afternoon.

Originally entering the transfer portal back in March, Kugel would commit to Kansas in late-March, but would reportedly end up not joining the Jayhawks. Because of this, Kugel would re-enter the portal, with the guard now ending up back in the SEC at Mississippi State.

Kugel, who has started 28-of-65 games for Florida across the last two years, has been a key member of the Gators roster during his time in Gainesville, averaging a combined 9.5 PPG. The guard has also averaged a combined 3.2 RPG and 1.2 APG on 42.3%/34.2%/67.8% shooting.

A 2022-23 SEC All-Freshman selection, Kugel started in 11-of-33 games a year ago for the Gators as a sophomore, averaging 9.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, and 1.1 SPG on 39.4% shooting from the field. Kugel also shot 31.2% from three, as well as 69.6% at the free throw line.

As mentioned previously, Kugel was a former four-star prospect out of high school, who, despite ending up going to Florida, was one-time a signee with Mississippi State in the 2022 class.

Kugel now ends up at Mississippi State where he, the Bulldogs fifth commit via the portal this offseason, is likely to make a key impact in 2024-25.

Ohio State men’s tennis advances to NCAA quarterfinals

Moving on! #GoBucks

The No. 1 ranked Ohio State men’s tennis team continued its dominant run with a 4-1 win over Mississippi State on Saturday, effectively punching its ticket to Stillwater, Oklahoma, where this year’s NCAA’s final rounds will take place.

The Buckeyes — as they have done almost all year — got things started by winning the doubles point to go up 1-0. It came courtesy of pairs Cannon Kingsley/Jack Anthrop and Robert Cash/JJ Tracy both winning 6-2.

From there, OSU dropped just one singles match with Justin Boulais (6-1, 6-0), Cash (6-3, 6-2), and Anthrop (6-3, 7-6) all winning to seal the deal.

With the win, Ohio State moves to an mind-bending 33-1 overall record and will now face No. 8 seed Columbia on Thursday at a time to still be announced.

We’ll continue to bring you all of the action as the Ohio State men’s tennis team continues its quest for that ever-illusive outdoor national title.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

‘Going to go back to playing Aggies softball’: Texas A&M coach Trisha Ford previews SEC Tournament

“Everybody is (different), but we can absolutely take confidence in it. I think we do much better with opponents that we’re familiar with.”

The No. 8 Texas A&M softball team has earned the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament and will play the winner of South Carolina versus Mississippi State in the first round.

Aggies head coach Trisha Ford spoke to the media Monday to preview the upcoming conference tourney.

“I think everybody is (different) to be honest with you. But we can absolutely take confidence in it. I think we do much better with opponents that we’re familiar with. We’ve played the both of them and they were both tough games,” Ford explained. “Mississippi State has done a good job of continuing to get better and so has South Carolina. It’s going to go back to playing Aggies softball. We’ve gotta pitch well, we’ve been playing very clean defense. The other piece is having those timely hits. I think the first and last one, we could tighty up a little bit.

“(Emiley Kennedy) has been in a lot of bad luck. We’ve put her in four games at the end or extras and she’s actually gotten a loss but only pitched like an inning or so. That makes it a little bit tougher, but one of the perks or responsibilities for being that pitcher in a staff.

“For me, it’s about going back and playing our game, executing the short game. Continuing those pieces, that’s what’s going to really help us win, especially as we continue this conference tournament and postseason, is being able to execute those little things.”

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.