Mississippi State vs La Tech Recap

Well, Mississippi State sure didn’t start the game quite like it wanted to. An early interception, sloppy play, and giving up a field goal along with a touchdown, and MSU was looking at an embarrassing start to its game in Ruston. After finding his team down 9-0 to Louisiana Tech, Jeffery Simmons quickly did something about it.

It started with Simmons batting down an extra point attempt, preventing the game from being a 10-0 deficit. Tucker Day then knocked a field goal through the uprights. A couple of three and outs by both teams, and Tech had the ball again.

Simmons then struck again. Blocking a punt and scrambling, Jeffery Simmons scooted his way into the endzone, tying the game up. With the extra point that Day would make, Jeffery and Tucker had essentially brought MSU right back into the game and put the Maroon and White ahead.

And that’s when the State started to enforce its will upon Tech with Fitzgerald finding Jordan Thomas for a 17 yard touchdown, putting the Bulldogs up 16-9, over, well, the Bulldogs. MSU then had a blocked extra point of their own, which, well, sucked.

In the second quarter, Donald Gray scored early, another pass from Fitzgerald, giving MSU a somewhat comfortable 23-9 lead. Fitzgerald would put two more scores on the board this quarter, a 30 yard run and then a 21 yard pass to Gabe Myles.

La Tech tried to gain some momentum, down 36-9, and blocked and returned the extra point attempt to cut the lead to 36-11. Tech would add three more points with a field goal to close the half, but this simply was not enough to do anything meaningful for this game.

Fitzgerald scrambled for a 44 yard touchdown run, Jeffery Simmons scooped and scored a 90 yard touchdown, and then Kylin Hill earned his first collegiate touchdown on a two yard run.

MSU was up 57-14, and it really didn’t feel that close. The game ended 57-21, and for the second week in a row, Mississippi State surpassed all expectations. State simply would not be denied after that early wake up call, and it looks like it may have been necessary for this team to receive and early slap to the face.

Mississippi State responded in an incredible way. And they’re carrying some solid momentum forward into next week’s game against another team from Louisiana. And that test will be much tougher for Dan Mullen’s squad.