STARKVILLE - Mississippi State enters the contest with the Commodores looking to reclaim some lost momentum. Vanderbilt comes in off a bye week, and the Bulldogs come in after a tough loss to Texas.
Vanderbilt's bye week notwithstanding, the Commodores enter the matchup with the Bulldogs looking to end a five-game losing streak.
Several of the losses have been to ranked teams such as Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Georgia. However, the head-scratching losses for the Commodores have been to Auburn and Arkansas.
Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian and Mississippi State Cougars Head Coach Jeff Lebby talk before a game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Commodores will look to get freshman quarterback Jared Curtis going against the Bulldogs' defense. Curtis, like any freshman player, has had a bit of an up-and-down first season with the Commodores.
Curtis has a completion percentage of 65% and has thrown for 1,489 yards this season. The Vanderbilt signal caller has thrown eight interceptions to go along with eight touchdown passes. Vanderbilt will look for Curtis to continue to improve and take another step forward this week, with Mississippi State as the opponent.
One area of concern for the Commodores is the struggling rushing attack that has been anything but consistent this season. The Vanderbilt rushing attack is averaging around 106 yards per game this season. Last season, the Commodores averaged 175.5 yards per contest.
Vanderbilt senior running back Sedrick Alexander has been one of the Commodores' most used backs this season. In Alexander's 64 attempts this season, he has churned out 274 yards and five touchdowns. The Mississippi State defense will need to be mindful of Alexander's ability to get into the second level.
The Vanderbilt passing attack has leaned heavily on senior wide receiver Junior Sherrill. Sherrill is the most consistent target for Curtis and company. Sherrill has caught 49 passes for 706 yards and four touchdowns this season. Sherrill had his most impressive performance this season against Georgia; he hauled in seven receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Sherrill has the potential to be a problem Saturday for the Bulldogs. Mississippi State senior defensive back Kelley Jones will have his work cut out for him on Saturday. Jones has racked up 27 tackles this season and will look to continue his solid play against the Commodores' passing attack.
One thing that is certain this week is that either Vanderbilt or the Bulldogs will shake off what has been a tough stretch with a victory. One team will have the season take a positive turn. The questions will be answered on Saturday.
Sign up to our free Mississippi State on SI newsletter for daily updates on all things Bulldogs.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/mississippistate as Knowing the Enemy: What Mississippi State Needs To Know About Vanderbilt .
