Florida Gators versus Mississippi State Bulldogs Preview
(HECTOR)
The Florida Gators will hit the road for the first time in the 2024 season. The Gators will head west to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Both programs are coming off tough losses in their previous games.
Florida dropped their first SEC game of the season against Texas A&M 33-20. Mississippi State lost to Toledo 41-17 at home. This will be Mississippi State’s first SEC game of the season. Here is the preview of the Florida Gators versus Mississippi State Bulldog game.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Mississippi State Bulldogs will host the Florida Gators for their first SEC matchup. The Bulldogs will be led by their head coach, Jeff Lebby, who’s entering his first season as the head coach for Mississippi State.
The Mississippi State offense will be led by their quarterback, Blake Shapen. The Baylor transfer has carried the Mississippi State offense for most of the season. Shapen has completed 70.1% of his passes for 834 yards, eight total touchdowns, and one interception.
Junior wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. is another transfer who has played very well for the Bulldogs. The former Jackson State and Louisville transfer has been the leading receiver for Mississippi State. Coleman has recorded sixteen receptions for 268 yards and three touchdowns.
The Mississippi State defense is also coming off a rough weekend in which they struggled against Toledo’s offense. Junior linebacker Brendan Jennings has made an immediate impact for the Bulldogs. He has fifteen total tackles on the season with two tackles for loss and a sack.
Sophomore linebacker Isaac Smith has been the leading tackle for Mississippi State’s defense. Smith has recorded 43 total tackles including 17 solo tackles and one pass breakup. Two other Mississippi State players to watch this Saturday are running back Keyvone Lee and linebacker Stone Blaton.
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are coming into this game needing a win badly to try to save their season from completely going down the drain. Florida has struggled to win games on the season for the past couple of seasons. In the Billy Napier era, the Gators have a 2-10 record away from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The Florida Gators offense will be led by redshirt senior quarterback Graham Mertz. The former Wisconsin transfer will start the game but is expected to share some playing time with freshman DJ Lagway.
Senior running back Montrell Johnson is coming off probably the worst game in his collegiate career. Johnson rushed for -7 in seven carries last Saturday. However, he has rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns in the first two games of the season.
The Florida defense continues to be the biggest weakness for the Gators. Florida struggled against a backup quarterback last Saturday who had close to 300 yards of total offense and three touchdowns.
Redshirt junior EDGE rusher Tyreak Sapp has been one of the few defensive players producing this season. Sapp has eleven total tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Two other Gators players to watch this Saturday are wide receiver Elijhah Badger and linebacker Shemar James.
(HECTOR)
The Florida Gators will hit the road for the first time in the 2024 season. The Gators will head west to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Both programs are coming off tough losses in their previous games.
Florida dropped their first SEC game of the season against Texas A&M 33-20. Mississippi State lost to Toledo 41-17 at home. This will be Mississippi State’s first SEC game of the season. Here is the preview of the Florida Gators versus Mississippi State Bulldog game.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Mississippi State Bulldogs will host the Florida Gators for their first SEC matchup. The Bulldogs will be led by their head coach, Jeff Lebby, who’s entering his first season as the head coach for Mississippi State.
The Mississippi State offense will be led by their quarterback, Blake Shapen. The Baylor transfer has carried the Mississippi State offense for most of the season. Shapen has completed 70.1% of his passes for 834 yards, eight total touchdowns, and one interception.
Junior wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. is another transfer who has played very well for the Bulldogs. The former Jackson State and Louisville transfer has been the leading receiver for Mississippi State. Coleman has recorded sixteen receptions for 268 yards and three touchdowns.
The Mississippi State defense is also coming off a rough weekend in which they struggled against Toledo’s offense. Junior linebacker Brendan Jennings has made an immediate impact for the Bulldogs. He has fifteen total tackles on the season with two tackles for loss and a sack.
Sophomore linebacker Isaac Smith has been the leading tackle for Mississippi State’s defense. Smith has recorded 43 total tackles including 17 solo tackles and one pass breakup. Two other Mississippi State players to watch this Saturday are running back Keyvone Lee and linebacker Stone Blaton.
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are coming into this game needing a win badly to try to save their season from completely going down the drain. Florida has struggled to win games on the season for the past couple of seasons. In the Billy Napier era, the Gators have a 2-10 record away from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The Florida Gators offense will be led by redshirt senior quarterback Graham Mertz. The former Wisconsin transfer will start the game but is expected to share some playing time with freshman DJ Lagway.
Senior running back Montrell Johnson is coming off probably the worst game in his collegiate career. Johnson rushed for -7 in seven carries last Saturday. However, he has rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns in the first two games of the season.
The Florida defense continues to be the biggest weakness for the Gators. Florida struggled against a backup quarterback last Saturday who had close to 300 yards of total offense and three touchdowns.
Redshirt junior EDGE rusher Tyreak Sapp has been one of the few defensive players producing this season. Sapp has eleven total tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Two other Gators players to watch this Saturday are wide receiver Elijhah Badger and linebacker Shemar James.
