Jackson Free Press

Rarely do you see a game turn as quickly and suddenly as the game between Mississippi State University and Auburn University on Saturday, Oct. 8. It looked like the Bulldogs would take advantage of their two weeks to prepare for the Tigers.

Auburn’s first drive ended when MSU intercepted a tipped pass. One might think that is where the game turned, but it wasn’t until after the Bulldogs went on offense that the Tigers began their stride.

Auburn forced MSU to try a field goal after that interception, and the kicking game came up lame for head coach Dan Mullen. Another missed field goal, after a missed field goal lost the University of South Alabama game, turned this game.

In their http://www.espn.com/college-football/playbyplay?gameId=400869021">next three drives, the Tigers went nine plays for 80 yards, 12 plays for 79 yards and 12 plays for 60 yards. All three drives resulted in Auburn touchdowns to build a 21-0 lead.

Here is how the rest of the http://www.espn.com/college-football/playbyplay?gameId=400869021">Bulldogs’ drives went for the first half: three plays and punt, seven plays and a lost fumble, three plays and a lost fumble, three plays and punt, six plays and punt, one play and a lost fumble for an Auburn touchdown, and one play at the end of the half.

Auburn had one more touchdown drive before the sack-fumble by the Bulldogs. At the half, the Tigers led 35-0, and it was really all they would need for the rest of the game.

MSU, with two weeks to prepare, couldn’t tackle, stop the run or cover receivers, and it didn’t look like the Bulldogs knew where to line up at times on defense. Auburn also whipped the Bulldogs’ offensive line most of the game on defense.

The Tigers got pressure with their front four on the defense as the five Bulldogs offensive lineman struggled to keep a clean pocket. MSU’s play-calling was questionable at best throughout most of the first half.

Bulldogs quarterback Nick Fitzgerald didn’t seem to have anything going for him against Auburn. His throws were poor, by and large, and when he did have a good throw, the receiver would end up dropping it.

MSU wide receiver Fred Ross had a game to forget. Ross fumbled a couple of punts, which the Bulldogs recovered, and he might have dropped more passes in this game than he has during his entire college career.

The Bulldogs looked like they were just going through the motions on Saturday, and the Tigers took them behind the woodshed for their lack of focus. Auburn http://www.espn.com/college-football/matchup?gameId=400869021">racked up 432 yards on offense and didn’t do much in the second half, and the Tigers limited MSU to just 298 yards on offense.

Auburn was http://www.espn.com/college-football/matchup?gameId=400869021">six for 13 on third downs and averaged 11.3 yards per pass and 4.1 yards per rush. The statistics don’t tell the full story since Auburn was so far out in front that they really didn’t play the second half.

Just to show how sloppy MSU was, the Bulldogs committed http://www.espn.com/college-football/matchup?gameId=400869021">seven penalties, totaling 80 yards. The Bulldogs aren’t talented enough to not http://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore?gameId=400869021">win the turnover battle and commit penalties.

Mullen is one of the few coaches in the SEC with plenty of recent success to survive a bad season. Things might get a little murkier now that Scott Strickland is no longer the athletic director.

This season also shows just how important Dak Prescott was to this program. Yes, we are seeing in the NFL how good Prescott is, but it makes you realize just how much he willed this team to win last season.

Still, finding some way to get to a bowl game would mean this season is a success. That means this Friday’s matchup against Brigham Young University is a must-win game.

The Cougars are one of the http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/schedule/_/id/252">best 3-3 teams in the nation. BYU has lost by a combined seven points to the University of Utah, the University of California, Los Angeles, and West Virginia University.

BYU boasts a win over the University of Arizona, a beat down of Michigan State University last Saturday and a shootout victory over the University of Toledo, as well.

Unless things change quickly, it seems highly unlikely that the Bulldogs will leave Provo, Utah, with a win. But to get to a bowl game, MSU must score a victory somehow and find a way to get three more.

Two wins can come against Samford University and the University of Kentucky. If the Bulldogs lose any of the next three games, they close the door on a bowl game this season.

Here is the http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/schedule/_/id/344">hard part for the Bulldogs: They have to find another win against a slate that features No. 8 Texas A&M University, No. 1 University of Alabama, No. 16 University of Arkansas and No. 14 University of Mississippi.

The good news for MSU fans is that the Bulldogs have http://www.winsipedia.com/arkansas/vs/mississippi-state">won four consecutive games against the Razorbacks. Maybe they are in Arkansas’ head and can figure out a way to make it five in a row.

The Egg Bowl is in Oxford, Miss., this year, and the Rebels are a very good team, although you can never be fully sure in a rivalry game. Right now, it seems unlikely that the Bulldogs will win. MSU doesn’t need to give the Rebels any extra motivation to keep them home for bowl season by scoring win number six in the Egg Bowl.

MSU’s margin for error is razor thin, but there is still some hope for a bowl, no matter how dim those chances seem at the moment.