QUICK RECAP: Bulldogs overcome slow start for 38-10 win over Northern Illinois
Despite what the point spread said on Saturday’s game, Mississippi State was to be on alert against Northern Illinois.
The Huskies entered the game a year removed from going to South Bend, Ind. and taking down Notre Dame. Everything was in place for another one of those upsets after the first half, but the Bulldogs found a way to take care of business and cover the spread in the 38-10 win.
The victory moved State to 4-0 on the season for the first time since 2014 and just the eighth time in the history of the program.
“I think we’ve got a tough football team,” head coach Jeff Lebby said. “We’ve got a team that will respond the right way when things aren’t perfect. There’s been those moments in a lot of different ways where things haven’t been perfect. Our guys have responded the right way. Good football teams do that, tough football teams do that.”
The Bulldogs navigated sloppy play for most of the game to pull away late in the win. State trailed 3-0 after the first possession and led just 14-10 going into halftime before outscoring the Huskies 17-0 in the second half.
The ground game is what got the Bulldogs there as they averaged 6.0 yards per carry as they had 49 carries for 292 yards against a defense that has been stingy against the run. NIU (1-2) came into the ball game surrendering just 74.0 yards per game including holding Maryland under 100 yards a week ago.
Leading the charge on the ground was South Alabama running back transfer Fluff Bothwell who notched 100 yards for the first time in his Bulldog career. Bothwell rushed 17 times for 101 yards and Davon Booth scored two touchdowns to lead the way. Xavier Gayten came in and had four carries for 45 yards and scored a touchdown late in the game.
“It’s a big achievement,” Bothwell said of his 100-yard performance. “At the end of the day it really doesn’t mean anything. The biggest thing is us winning and keep stacking days.”
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Blake Shapen was 12 of 20 for 160 yards and a touchdown and had 11 carries for 51 yards as the Bulldogs had 452 yards of total offense and overcame 11 penalties for 104 yards. Mississippi State was 4 for 4 on 4th downs.
It wasn’t Shapen’s best game, and the senior quarterback acknowledged that. He missed some big plays and took some unnecessary hits, but he helped the Bulldogs to yet another win.
“I’ve got to be a lot better. The biggest takeaway for me is that I didn’t play my best game,” Shapen said. “I wasn’t on my A game and I’ve got to be better. That’s something for me that I’ve got to be better at moving forward.”
NIU had 267 yards of total offense with 125 yards on the ground. Jahron Manning made seven tackles to lead the way for the Bulldog defense with six tackles from Isaac Smith and his first career interception. Mississippi State had 6.0 tackles for loss as a team.
The Bulldogs have a major matchup with No. 15 Tennessee next week and Saturday looked the part of a trap game. In the second half, Mississippi State woke up and got the job done to set up a big one against the Volunteers next Saturday afternoon. Game time at Davis Wade Stadium is 3:15 on SEC Network.
