Ahead of No. 8 Auburn's first true road game of 2018 at Mississippi State, The Plainsman posed questions for Hunter Cloud, sports editor for The Reflector. Here's how he sees the action playing out Saturday inside Davis Wade Stadium.
These past two losses have been crushing blows for Miss State. How do you see the Bulldogs rebounding? How have their responses and attitudes been?
1. The past two loses have been rough, but head coach Joe Moorhead has been proud of how his team has responded. I think a win or even a close fought game would show the Bulldogs rebounding. They need their swagger back offensively because it has been non existent the past two games, for them to score a touchdown might even help. The players want to win and the coaches have said that their practices have been great and leaders have stepped up, but they have been unable to produce that on the field.
How does Nick Fitzgerald get back on track? Where are the Bulldogs' offensive woes coming from?
2. Nick Fitzgerald can get back on track when he has pass protection and wide receivers who do not drop balls. He has ran the ball really well this season so I do not think the run game is the issue for MSU, but their passing offense is vital to the success of the team because they need to keep the defense honest and not have 8 guys in the box to stop the run all the time. So the offensive woes again come from a lack of pass protection, wide receivers unable to catch passes, as well as Fitzgerald is a much better short and mid range passer, so if they can get those passes going the offense might get back into rhythm and running again.
Who are some key Bulldogs to watch on offense, other than Fitzgerald and Aeris Williams?
3. Kylin Hill is a phenomenal running back, averaging 7.7 yards a carry he is just good, and he can catch passes out of the back field. Austin Williams is also good at slot receiver and so is Keith Mixon, they both can make the defense pay. Mixon is also a return man on special teams and he is able to utilize his talents to set up good field position for the Bulldogs.
Score prediction?
4. 3-2 MSU wins and we will both want to forget it happened but will be able to say we saw the worst offensive performance in football history.
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Nathan King, senior in journalism with a minor in business, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
