BYU @ Mississippi State preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 14, 2016 ) Mississippi State 21, Brigham Young 28

After one of the most brutal three-game stretches any Division I team will encounter this season, Mississippi State gets a bit of a reprieve Saturday afternoon with a home date against BYU. The Bulldogs are coming off three straight games against teams ranked in the top 13 nationally, coming away with a statement win and a pair of blowout losses for its trouble.

A 37-7 drubbing of LSU was supposed to give Mississippi State some momentum - but that didn't happen at all, as the Bulldogs went on to lose to Georgia and Auburn by a combined 67 points. Mississippi State committed seven false start penalties in last week's 49-10 drubbing at the hands of the Tigers, prompting head coach Dan Mullen to say afterward: "We did everything you shouldn't do when you come on the road to win." Now well out of the top 25 rankings, the Bulldogs will look to bounce back against a BYU team that has dropped five straight games since its season-opening victory over Portland State. The Cougars managed just 238 total yards and 12 first downs in last week's 24-7 loss to Boise State.

TV: Noon ET, SEC Network. LINE: Mississippi State -24

ABOUT BYU (1-5): The Cougars boast one of the most anemic offenses in the nation, averaging a paltry 11.7 points per game - ahead of only Kent State in all of Division I - and 97.7 rushing yards per contest, good for 121st in the country. Quarterback Tanner Mangum has completed just over 54 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and six interceptions so far this season, and BYU has thrown 12 picks as a team, the most in Division I. Ula Toluatau and Squally Canada pace the Cougars rushing attack, averaging a combined 4.6 yards per carry while accounting for all three of the team's rushing scores.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (3-2): Consider this a get-right game for Bulldogs quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, who opened the season with a 7-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his first three games but had just one TD toss against four INTs in the losses to Georgia and Auburn. You can also expect Mississippi State to lean heavily on a potent ground attack that averages 5.7 yards per carryand has produced eight touchdowns. The Bulldogs will also look to improve their pass pressure, having registered just nine sacks through five contests.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Fitzgerald has accounted for 13 scores through five games, but just one has come in the previous two contests.

2. The Bulldogs average 252.8 rushing yards per game, 17th-most in the nation.

3. Only 13 Division I schools have forced fewer turnovers than BYU (five).

PREDICTION: Mississippi State 45, BYU 21