STARKVILLE, Miss. – Both Mississippi State and Florida needed a win at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday, but it was the Gators who went home with smiles on their faces.
There are many ways to explain how Florida came to Starkville and silenced the cowbells. Here are five statistics that tell the story:
That’s the total number of incomplete passes thrown by Florida quarterbacks Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway in Saturday’s game. And Lagway had neither. That’s a 93 percent completion rate. No matter who was at quarterback, the Gators had no trouble throwing the ball for 277 yards.
That’s the number of rushing yards Mississippi State has gained and the number of passing yards it has gained. Florida’s run defense hasn’t been much better than the Bulldogs’ this season and Mississippi State has been able to exploit that weakness and gain the most rushing yards against an FBS team so far this season.
That’s the total number of penalties assessed to Mississippi State and the number of yards lost due to those penalties. Penalties are never a “good thing,” but Mississippi State’s offense couldn’t overcome the negative situations the Bulldogs were put in due to the penalties.
That’s the number of unanswered points Florida scored in the second quarter. Mississippi State ended the series with a three-yard touchdown run by Blake Shapen with 23 seconds left in the first half. It was a deficit the Bulldogs couldn’t overcome.
That was Mississippi State’s fourth down conversion rate against Florida. The two fourth down conversions were important, but the one the Bulldogs failed to convert was more important. The Bulldogs trailed 35-21 early in the third quarter and faced a fourth down attempt at the one-yard line. The Bulldogs used a speed option and Shapen’s pitch missed its target, resulting in a fumble recovered by Florida. So instead of trailing 35-28, the Bulldogs trailed 42-21 after the Gators scored another touchdown.
Florida gives Mississippi State its third consecutive defeat (45-28)
Mississippi State continues to lose to Florida due to defensive problems
Signs of progress: Mississippi State offense shows growth in tough loss to Florida
What went wrong for Mississippi State against Florida?
