Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Oklahoma State Cowboys Match Player Stats On Aug 31, 2013

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Aug 31, 2013

No. 14 Oklahoma State 21, Mississippi State 3: Jeremy Smith ran for a pair of second-half touchdowns as the Cowboys overcame a slow start to knock off the Bulldogs at Houston's Reliant Stadium.

J.W. Walsh replaced Clint Chelf in the first quarter and ignited a sluggish offense by rushing for 125 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and completing 18-of-27 for 135 yards as Oklahoma State won its sixth consecutive season opener.

Smith rushed for 102 yards on 15 carries, including a 1-yard scoring burst early in the third quarter and a 20-yard TD run in the opening minute of the final quarter to help the Cowboys improve to 9-1 in their last 10 games against Southeastern Conference opponents.

Mississippi State got a 40-yard field goal from Devon Bell on the game's opening drive but was stymied the rest of the way by a defense that surrendered more than 28 points per game last season. Bulldogs quarterback Tyler Russell finished 10-for-16 for 133 yards and an interception before he was knocked out of the contest when he took a knee to the helmet with 2:50 left in the third quarter.

After punting on its first five possessions, Oklahoma State finally got on the board when Walsh capped a six-play, 69-yard drive with a 3-yard run with 2:16 left in the second quarter for a 7-3 halftime lead. The Cowboys held the Bulldogs to a pair of three-and-outs in the third quarter and mounted two long scoring drives that Smith capped with TD runs.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Smith registered his 26th and 27th career rushing TDs, but his first two as a starter. ... RB LaDarius Perkins amassed 105 combined yards in the opening half but had minus-3 yards rushing after intermission for Mississippi State, which managed only 10 total yards on six plays in the third quarter. ... Oklahoma State senior S Larry Stephens was carted off the field in the second quarter with what appeared to be a serious knee injury.