Mississippi State is on the road again in SEC play this weekend, traveling to Gainesville to face the Gators on their turf for the first time since 2010. That game proved to be the first signature win for former MSU head coach Dan Mullen, beating his former boss Urban Meyer in his last year at Florida.

There is a very different coaching dynamic this time around. MSU head coach Jeff Lebby is still looking for his first SEC win with the Bulldogs while Florida’s Billy Napier is under fire in his fourth season.

Get the offense moving

It’s a pretty general rule for any team trying to win any game: the offense has to score points.

Lebby has made his name in the sport because of his prolific offensive style, and the flashes have been there for MSU this season.

Quarterback Blake Shapen has six touchdown passes of 40 or more yards this season, finding receivers like Brenen Thompson and Anthony Evans who can bolt past defenders with or without the ball in their hands. Tight end Seydou Traore is similarly a threat from deep or underneath, exploiting the space left by the receivers.

And yet, the passing game has been lacking since Week 4.

Shapen hasn’t had more than 200 passing yards since the win over Arizona State. He has continued his streak of at least one passing touchdown in every game, but has had only one in each of the last three games.

Part of the problem is protection. The offensive line is banged up and may miss starting right tackle Albert Reese again, but the offense has to adapt.

“It doesn’t change (the game plan), obviously, but at the same time, my mindset is, ‘You gotta get the ball out of your hands,’” Shapen said on Monday when asked about dealing with the pass rush. “It’s not going to be pretty every time. It’s not gonna look the way that you want to look, but being able to find a way to get the ball out, whether it’s a check down, whether it’s being able to scramble vertically, if there’s a lane in the pocket that I can maybe squeeze through in the A or B gap. Just finding ways that limit the negative plays.”

The running game took a hit with an injury to Fluff Bothwell, but Davon Booth and Xavier Gayten are serviceable replacements as long as the offense can open things up through the air.

Win the crowd, win your freedom

Florida has the look of a program in turmoil.

For the second year in a row, the Gators and Bulldogs will play after a week of speculation concerning head coach Billy Napier’s position going forward, with national outlets reporting this week that athletic director Scott Stricklin has met with donors to discuss their options.

The Gators are 2-4 with some ugly losses, including a home loss to South Florida, and have a homecoming crowd coming to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday expecting a turnaround or bust.

That can easily spur a home team to victory, but it can also turn ugly should the product on the field fall short of expectations.

The booing of your own fans is never a positive signal of what is to come. For Florida, there have been reports that Napier may be gone regardless of the result on Saturday. If the game turns ugly for Florida, the fans will respond. Whether it’s leaving, booing or struggling to find the energy to get behind their team, anything less than full-throated support could spell trouble for the Gators.

Capitalize from in front

The Bulldogs have had seven drives with a lead in SEC games this season, and have scored just three points from those situations. Three drives ended in punts and three ended in turnovers

The same was evident against Arizona State. A 17-0 lead collapsed in the third quarter and suddenly the offense had to deliver a game-winning drive in the final minute. They got the job done that time, but the job could have been finished by then.

That’s three games against ranked opponents where the Bulldogs have had the chance to build a lead, and three games in which they’ve failed to do so.

The folks in the desert may have Florida favored in this one, but the Bulldogs are more than capable of matching or bettering them, even on the road. But they can’t let chances to control the game pass them by in a hostile environment. If there is an opening, they need to keep their focus and hit the gas.

Posted in College Sports

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