2008 Mississippi State Bulldogs College Football Predictions


June 8, 2008 | Posted By Larry Cook

The Bulldogs overachieved last season with an 8-5 record and a Liberty Bowl victory over UCF as Sylvester Croom saved his job. A repeat performance cannot be expected fro MSU this season. The team at Info Plays gives you our 2008 Mississippi State NCAA football predictions below.

Offense:

Sylvester Croom and his West Coast system has yet to produce the points the Bulldogs have been looking for in Starkville. Mississippi State’s offense finished 96th in scoring and 113th in passing last season and still finished with an 8-5 record. Quarterback Wesley Carroll is stronger and smarter after spring practice and it will be his job to get this offense going. This is the case because the depth behind Carroll is unproven. The wide receiving corps has added some depth this season to help out Carroll. Jamayel Smith has emerged as a top threat as a senior. Coaches are counting on Co-Eric Riley to bust out of his slump from last season and perform up to expectations.

The Bulldogs have made a pact to utilize the big-play capabilities of their running backs this offseason. Standout recruit Robert Elliott red shirted last year and says he’s ready to help this season. Converted safety Wade Bonner will also see some time in the backfield. Powerful Anthony Dixon is the likely starter to begin the season and he has proven backup in Christian Ducre. So there’s 4 guys competing for carries and a plethora of talent to go around in the backfield. Blocking for the backs will be center J.C. Brignone along with returning starter Anthony Strauder at guard to lead the way. But three of the five guys penciled in on the line will be unproven players. If the Bulldogs can’t run the ball, it will be very tough to
get their passing game going this season.

Defense:

Mississippi State’s focal point the last few seasons has been recruiting speed that can match their other SEC opponents. That speed should finally show up on the defensive side of the ball this season. All-SEC end Titus Brown is gone, but the Bulldogs do return 7 of their 11 defensive starters from a defense that finished 35th in the nation in points allowed at just 23.2 per game. Cortez McCraney is a solid end that can nearly fill Brown’s shoes. Kyle Love moves into the interior of the line to join Jessie Bowman, who has contributed a lot to this team since transferring from a junior college.

Mississippi State returns two of its three linebackers, including Jamar Chancy in the middle and Dominic Doublas on the outside. Coaches have been raving about sophomore K.J. Wright since he signed, and he’ll get a shot to show his potential on the strong side. Derek Pegues is the team leader and projects to be an NFL Draftee next season. He played free safety last year for the first time while picking off five passes and returning one for a score. The Bulldogs have plenty of depth at strong safety with De’Mon Glanton and Keith Fitzhugh combining for 32 starts entering their senior seasons. Jasper O’Quinn and Marcus Washington each have a year of experience at corner. But depth is a problem with the departure of starter Anthony Johnson.

Mississippi State Bulldogs predictions at Info Plays: 4th in SEC West

The Bulldogs will finish 4th in the SEC West behind LSU, Tennessee and Alabama. We would be completely surprised if the Bulldogs can capture a winning record next season due to their lack of scoring on offense. An unproven offensive line will be their downfall this season. Croom’s determination to make this school a winning program is priceless, but when he’s competing with these SEC schools for recruiting primacy he is clearly no match for the Tigers and Gators of the world.

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