Looking for another Southeastern Conference road win, Mississippi State finds its way to the Music City.
MSU is on the road in Nashville, Tennessee, this Saturday for a battle against Vanderbilt. The game is slated to begin at 3 p.m. CT and will be televised by SEC Network.
Mississippi State's Storylines vs. Vanderbilt
MSU and No. 1 Georgia are the only teams in the nation with multiple wins over teams currently ranked inside the AP Top 25. The Bulldogs carry a four-game winning streak against Vanderbilt into this week's game. State has not lost to the Commodores since Oct. 2, 2004, and has outscored Vanderbilt, 107-34 in that span. MSU has limited Vandy to 47 combined points in the last five meetings (9.4 points per game) with the Commodores scoring no more than 17 points in any one game in that span.
Three Bulldogs posted career highs with double-digit tackles against No. 5 Alabama. It was the first time this season that State has seen multiple players record 10 or more tackles in a game. LB Nathaniel Watson made a career-high 16 tackles against No. 5 Alabama, which stands as the most tackles by a Bulldog in a single game in the last decade (18 by Brandon Wilson vs. Louisiana Tech on Sept. 24, 2011).
QB Will Rogers is the only QB in the SEC with 400+ passing yards and multiple touchdowns in the same game, and he's done so twice. He is one of five players nationally with multiple such games. In the fourth quarter this season, Rogers leads the SEC in passing yards (560), passing touchdowns (5), completions for a first down (29) and completions for 15+ yards (11). He is second in completion percentage (74.1). In 12 career starts, Rogers has thrown just eight interceptions despite having 615 passing attempts (1.3 percent).
State has already completed 250 passes, which ranks fifth in MSU single-season history. Mississippi State is the one of two schools in the nation (Virginia) with three players who have recorded 30+ receptions this season. State is the only Power Five program with two players that have eclipsed the 40-catch mark.
Six Bulldogs boast streaks of 10 or more consecutive games with a reception. RB Jo'quavious Marks has the longest active streak at 17 games, which includes every game of his collegiate career. WR Makai Polk has totaled 489 receiving yards already this season, which trails only Justin Jenkins (618, 2003) for the most by a Bulldog in the team's first six games since 2000.
The Bulldogs are second in the SEC and third in the FBS in yards after catch in 2021. The Bulldogs' run defense is one of the best in the nation. MSU has held seven of its 16 opponents since the start of 2020 to 100 yards or fewer on the ground. State has held the opponent below the 100-yard mark three times this year, and allowed just 101 yards in the season opener against Louisiana Tech (Sept. 4).
The Bulldogs are allowing only 15.7 first downs per game this season, good for second in the SEC and 12th in the country. In SEC games this season, MSU has allowed the fewest passing (25) first downs and second-fewest rushing (25) first downs. MSU leads the SEC this season in percentage of its opponents offensive drives that lasted 2 minutes or less (45.8). CB Emmanuel Forbes is the SEC's active career leader in interceptions (7), which is tied for 18th in the FBS. He is tied for second in the FBS in picks since the start of his freshman season in 2020.
