Alabama Football: 2019 season preview week 12 versus Mississippi State
Mississippi State has been on a roller coaster in recent seasons. Joe Moorhead, in his second season, needs a good showing against Alabama Football to steady his future in Starkville.
Let’s not sugarcoat this. Alabama football has flat-out dominated the series against Mississippi State. The all-time record is 81-18-3 in favor of the Tide.
Nick Saban has been even more dominant against our neighbors to the west. Since losing his first game against MSU at Alabama, Saban’s squads have reeled off 11 straight wins by an average of more than 22 points per game.
Excluding 2014 when a Dak Prescott led No. 1 MSU took No. 5 Alabama to the brink before falling 25-20, and 2017 when Alabama needed some late-game heroics from Jalen Hurts to pull out a 31-24 victory, every other game since 2007 has been won by double digits.
That streak doesn’t seem primed to change in 2019.
Although Moorhead is considered an offensive mastermind, it was the defense that defined his first team in Starkville. The offense was a liability at times never seeming to form an identity. Moorhead will have to change that in his second season to find success.
The dominant D-line, that was the strength of MSU’s defense in 2018, was picked clean during the NFL draft. Montez Sweat and Jeffery Simmons were arguably MSU’s two best defenders and both were taken in the first round of April’s draft.
Overall they are only returning four starters from last year’s historically good defense. That could prove to be their downfall in 2019.
On the other side of the ball, there’s a different story. The offensive line returns 3 starters, but all 5 of the projected starters on the o-line are experienced, led by Seniors Tyre Phillips and Darryl Williams. They will look to protect a new QB in 2019.
It is anticipated that Junior Keytaon Thompson, a former 4-star recruit, will get the nod to start for State, but that is not the foregone conclusion many think it is. There is a true QB battle going on in Starkville. Tommy Stevens, Moorhead’s former QB, transferred from Penn State and looks to push Thompson for the starting gig. Throw in talented RS Freshman Jalen Mayden and you’ve got a three-horse race.
In the end, it likely will be Thompson that wins the starting job, but I expect Moorhead will have him on a very short leash and could pull him for Stevens if he struggles early.
Look for State to establish an identity running the ball. They were the second best rushing team in the SEC last season. Granted that had a lot to do with Nick Fitzgerald, but they return the talented Kylin Hill at RB. Hill ran for over 700 yards at six yards-per-carry in 2018 and looks to have an even better 2019.
This season feels like a boom or bust year for the Bulldogs. If the defense plays solid and the offense takes a step forward they can easily win 8 games. 10 wins wouldn’t be a stretch if Keytaon Thompson realizes his full potential.
However, I can see their season going in the opposite direction too. If the losses on defense are too much to overcome and the QB play is sub-par they could just as easily win only four or five games and miss a bowl game.
So what does this mean for the November showdown between the Bulldogs and the Tide? Don’t underestimate MSU. Alabama football has dominated historically and in recent years, but State could be sneaky good this season.
I fully expect an Alabama win and a big win at that, but that is not necessarily a knock against State. That is a testament to how good this Alabama football team will be in 2019.
dark. Next. Who is next to commit in June
Check out previews of the first 9 games of the season here: