Houston vs. Mississippi State Football 2009
Cougars Try to Bounce Back in Non-Conference Game vs. Bulldogs
This week, the Cougars are unranked, the BCS is an illusion, and Houston must now concentrate simply on keeping its Conference USA title hopes alive.
A lot can change when you get run over by a 1-3 team like the Cougars did last weekend in their conference opener at UTEP.
Still, the Cougars (3-1) can regain a lot of swagger and some prestige if they can beat Mississippi State on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Starkville, Miss. Defeating an SEC team on the road is no small feat, even if the opponent is just 2-3.
Mississippi State's three defeats came to Auburn, LSU and Georgia Tech, who are ranked in the Top 25. And the Bulldogs nearly upset No. 4 LSU on Sept. 26, falling 30-26 at Starkville.
Last week, Mississippi State lost 42-31 to No. 14 Georgia Tech at home, so the Bulldogs are 0-2 on a three-game homestand. They’ll close it against a Houston squad that leads the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense (573.25 yards per game).
On the other hand, Houston also happen to rank 113th of 120 FBS teams in total defense, giving up 440.5 yards per game. So Mississippi State’s spread offense could be in for a productive night.
The 7 p.m. EST game will be telecast by ESPNU.
Running Back Dixon Spearheads Bulldogs Offense
Mississippi State is in its first season under head coach Dan Mullen, who served as offensive coordinator for national champion Florida. Mullen’s brought the spread offense to Starkville with varying degrees of success.
The Bulldos are averaging 28.2 points and 381.8 yards per game – averages that went up after they blistered Georgia Tech for 487 yards. But they’ve also committed 14 turnovers, six more than their opposition.
Their best work's been done on the ground, where Anthony Dixon is churning out 106.75 yards per game. The 6-1, 235-pound senior missed the season-opening 45-7 win over Jackson State because of a suspension, but has powered his way to 427 yards and three touchdowns on 86 carries.
The Bulldogs have been using two quarterbacks. Senior Tyson Lee has completed 58 of 106 passes for 666 yards, with three touchdowns and four interceptions. Sophomore Chris Relf is the mobile one, ranking second to Dixon in team rushing with 198 yards and a TD on 33 carries. Relf is 15-for-26 passing for 213 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Freshman Chad Bumphis leads the Bulldogs with 16 catches for 192 yards and three TDs, and tight end Marcus Green (13 catches, 191 yard, 2 TDs) and Leon Berry (12 receptions, 136 yards) are also threats. And Berry is a dangerous kickoff returner, who scored on an 89-yard runback last week.
Results Mixed for Mississippi State Defense
It’s been an up-and-down campaign for the Bulldogs defense, which is allowing 26.2 points and 336.4 yards per game. The Bulldogs delivered against the likes of Jackson State and Vanderbilt, and held LSU to 263 yards. But they got scorched by explosive Auburn and Georgia Tech.
Linebackers K.J. Wright and Jamar Chaney lead the team in tackles with 38 and 34, respectively. Defensive backs Zach Smith and Charles Mitchell, and linebacker Chris White have 26 tackles apiece; and Smith has forced two fumbles.
The defensive line features Pernell McPhee, who’s posted team highs of five tackles for losses and two sacks among his 23 tackles.
The Bulldogs have six sacks this season, and on Saturday, they'll have plenty more chances to rush the passer. But the pass-crazy Cougars have only given up four sacks.
Houston’s Keenum Leads Nation in Passing
Houston'sCase Keenum leads the FBS with an average of 424 passing yards per game. The junior put the ball up 76 times in last week’s 58-41 loss to UTEP, completing 51 for 536 yards and five touchdowns without being intercepted.
On the year, Keenum is 144-for-210 for 1,696 yards and 13 TDs, with just two interceptions. His targets include James Cleveland (30 catches, 312 yards, 3 TDs), Tyron Carrier (29 catches, 354 yards, 2 TDs) and Patrick Edwards (26 catches, 298 yards, 1 TD). Cleveland made 14 receptions last week and Carrier had 11, as Houston gained 664 yards of offense.
Sophomore back Bryce Beall has run 60 times for 279 yards and three TDs, and caught 14 passes for 167 yards and three TDs. Freshman Charles Sims has 27 rushes for 127 yards and a touchdown, and 24 receptions for 339 yards and a score.
Houston is putting up 42.5 points per game, which is usually good enough. But last week, they gave up 58 – not to mention 581 yards.
Cougars Defense Tries to Recover from Ineffectual Performance
Houston’s offense scores so often, its defensive players have less time to catch their breaths on the sideline. So there’s a more than one reason Kevin Sumlin’s Cougars haven’t been world beaters on defense.
But it was still a surprise to see them bruised for 262 yards by UTEP running back Donald Buckram. And they got burned through the air, too, as Trevor Vittatoe passed for 276 yards and two TDs without an interception.
The Cougars have been forcing more than two turnovers a game. That number might need to increase dramatically unless Houston finds another way to slow down its opposition.
Houston features the No. 4 tackler in the FBS, as sophomore linebacker Marcus McGraw averages 11.75 per game. The sophomore has 47 tackles on the season, and has broken up three passes.
Linebacker C.J. Cavness made 13 stops vs. UTEP to raise his season total to 39. Other leaders include safety Nick Saenz (36 tackles, 3 pass breakups), cornerback Brandon Brinkley (20 tackles, 4 pass breakups) and defensive tackle David Hunter (1.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries).
Bulldogs, Cougars To Meet for 15th Time
Houston owns an 8-6 lead in its series with Mississippi State, and has won the last two – including a 28-16 decision in Starkville 2005. Mississippi State beat the Cougars 42-35 in Houston in 2003.
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