Bulldogs beaten by Bama and themselves
STARKVILLE – It was a beatdown in every sense of the word. Losing by 33 points – 56-23 – to No. 7 Alabama was tough enough for No. 16 Mississippi State to follow. Losing four starters to injuries made it even tougher. However, the toughest to digest was the fact that, in their eyes, they did it to themselves. “After tonight, I just told the guys, ‘That game wasn't on nobody but us. It wasn't ...
On a night marred by self-inflicted mistakes, Mississippi State Bulldogs fell 33 points short, 56-23, to No. 7 Alabama. The injury-heavy Bulldogs, already down four starters, could not overcome their own blunders. "That game wasn't on nobody but us," confessed quarterback Isaac Smith, "It wasn't on the coaches, it wasn't on anybody, It was on us."
The Crimson Tide's 56-point offensive performance was fueled by Kamario Taylor's three turnovers, including a fumble on the first drive and a pick-six, leading to 21 of Alabama's 56 points. Two more scores came from penalties, and a final field goal was marred by a State rusher running into the kicker. In a pivotal first quarter, Mississippi State had the Tide facing a daunting third-and-19, but a back-end breakdown allowed Keelon Russell to score a 39-yard gain, extending Alabama's lead.
The Bulldogs' struggles continued in the second quarter, with Alabama driving and facing two third downs, including one of 19 yards and another of six. Russell's six-of-seven, 146-yard performance and two touchdowns extended Alabama's lead to 14 points. Quarterback Isaac Smith, the leader of the back end, took full responsibility for the breakdowns, stating, "I'll take the blame for it because ...
I'm the leader of the back end, and we just didn't do our job." The Bulldogs knew the bye week would be crucial for recovery, with some players like Taylor, Fluff Bothwell, Jalen Smith, and Canon Boone sidelined. Coach Jeff Lebby acknowledged the team's need for help and emphasized the importance of executing a complete four-quarter game, given the daunting schedule ahead.
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