Alabama Football: Players to watch vs. Mississippi State
After a strong second-half performance against a top-20 Ole Miss squad this past weekend, No. 12 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC) is now going back out on the road this Saturday to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. According to VegasInsider, the Crimson Tide currently sit as 14.5-point favorites.
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If Alabama wants to exit Starkville with a win, it’s going to need quality performances from the four players we’ve included below. I’m sure there are others who will have a significant impact on the outcome of this game, but these four standouts should go a long way in determining how things shake out.
No. 1 – DB Malachi Moore
With the way State’s offense has been trending in recent weeks, Lideatrick Griffin (5-foot-10, 180) is the top player Alabama will see on that side of the football come Saturday. Through four games, he’s been targeted 27 times, bringing in 20 of those for 388 yards and three touchdowns. That’s an average of almost 100 yards per game and a whopping 19.4 yards per catch. He plays over 90% of his snaps in the slot too, which makes Moore a name to watch.
Griffin isn’t the only one playing great football for his team though. Moore has been closing in on a return to his freshman All-American form in the early parts of this season. He won’t be the only player asked to cover Griffin inside, but I’m sure the two will be matched up quite a bit with Moore playing the Star position in Alabama’s defense. With the Bulldogs using a lot of motion pre-snap, you’re also likely to see a safety such as Jaylen Key or Caleb Downs have to roll down and cover him. It should be an interesting matchup to watch.
No. 2 – IOL Seth McLaughlin
Mississippi State continues to field an attacking style defensively under now head coach Zach Arnett. The two main off-ball linebackers — Nathaniel Watson (6-2, 245) and Jett Johnson (6-2, 230) — have a team-leading three sacks apiece on the year. In addition, Johnson currently ranks No. 8 nationally in tackles per game (11.25). Those two along with State’s most disruptive interior defensive lineman — Nathan Pickering (6-4, 305) — means that McLaughlin and the rest of Alabama’s interior offensive line will their his hands full.
I bring up McLaughlin specifically because he’s been dealing with ongoing snap issues. It’s been an every-week problem through the first four games of the season, and with there being a lot to handle inside from the Bulldogs, he’ll need to bring his A-game on Saturday. Yes, Alabama is a stout 14.5-point road favorite at the moment, but one of the most effective ways to help that home crowd get involved — with all those cowbells — is turning the ball over and making other offensive mistakes. Keep an eye on McLaughlin and Darrian Dalcourt.
No. 3 – LB Jihaad Campbell
Starting linebacker Deontae Lawson is unlikely to play this weekend after injuring his ankle in the first half against Ole Miss. Last week, his absence led to a season-high 75% snap share for Campbell. You’re likely to also see a lot more of Trezmen Marshall and Kendrick Blackshire, but Campbell is proving to be Alabama’s next best three-down option. Yes, he’s still learning and growing, but the 6-3, 230-pound sophomore has all of the physical tools to be a superstar.
Not only that, but State is big on running the ball outside. Running back Jo’Quavious Marks (5-10, 210) totaled 250 rushing yards and three scores on 43 carries through the first two games. The last two haven’t yielded the same results (102 yards and one score on 20 carries), but this is an offense that’s proven capable of running off tackle. That means Alabama’s two edge players — Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell — will be important pieces of this matchup, but that also includes an athlete such as Campbell. He’ll need to attack those edges too, especially if he’s flowing to the play-side.
No. 4 – QB Jalen Milroe
Mississippi State has struggled with dual-threat quarterbacks this season. Like, really struggled. Setting aside the season opener against Southeastern Louisiana, the Bulldogs have played Arizona, LSU and South Carolina over the last three weeks. Here’s how the signal-callers for those teams have performed against the Bulldogs:
32/46 (69.6%)342 yards passing (7.4 YPA)2 TDs / 4 INT8 carries, 44 yards, 1 TD
30/34 (88.2%)361 yards passing (10.6 YPA)2 TDs / 0 INT15 carries, 64 yards, 2 TDs
18/20 (90%)288 yards passing (14.4 YPA)3 TDs / 0 INT8 carries, 43 yards
All of these guys have a lot more experience than Milroe, but none of them are the same caliber of runner. In fact, labeling Rattler as a dual-threat player probably isn’t accurate, but his stat-line from South Carolina’s game against State certainly reflects a guy able to do damage on the ground and through the air. I’m not saying that Milroe is guaranteed to put up this type of performance, but it’s possible that his running and vertical passing ability will both be on display this weekend.
Others to watch: OL Kadyn Proctor; OLB Dallas Turner; RB Jase McClellan
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