2018 Mississippi State football preview

After losing Dan Mullen to the Florida Gators, the Mississippi State turned to former Penn State offensive coordinator and Fordham head coach Joe Moorhead to help keep the Bulldogs in the SEC spotlight.

Mississippi State returns preseason third-team All-SEC offensive weapons, Nick Fitzgerald at quarterback and Aeris Williams at running back, but arguably the Bulldogs’ most important returners are on the other side of the ball.

“Our front four has been talked about a lot and for good reason,” Moorhead said at SEC Media Days this summer,“ led by Montez Sweat and Jeffery Simmons, and we go two or three deep there at the defensive line.”

Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat, two potential NFL draft picks, return after the combining for 16 sacks and 27.5 tackles for a loss last year.

Safety Mark McLaurin said that Simmons and Sweat make his job easier on the back end of the defense.

“It is really great,” McLaurin said. “Those two guys are extremely hardworking guys, and we know that Jeffery Simmons can get to the quarterback at any time and Montez Sweat is very gifted in pass rushing. It helps us out in the sense that if things break down they can get there and we can make plays on the back end.”.

2018 schedule
Sept. 1 – Stephen F. Austin
Sept. 8 – at Kansas State
Sept. 15 – Louisiana-Lafayette
Sept. 22 – at Kentucky
Sept. 29 – Florida
Oct. 6 – Auburn
Oct. 20 – at LSU
Oct. 27 – Texas A&M
Nov. 3 – Louisiana Tech
Nov. 10 – at Alabama
Nov. 17 – Arkansas
Nov. 22 – at Ole Miss

2017 record: 9-4 (4-4 conf./ T-4th in SEC West)
All-Time SEC championships: 1
All-time bowl appearances: 21 (13-8)

2017 results
Sept. 2 – Charleston Southern – W 49-0
Sept. 9 – at Louisiana Tech – W 57-21
Sept. 16 – LSU – W 37-7
Sept. 23 – at Georgia – L 31-3
Sept. 30 – at Auburn – L 49-10
Oct. 14 – BYU – W, 35-10
Oct. 21 – Kentucky – W 45-7
Oct. 28 – at Texas A&M – W 35-14
Nov. 4 – UMass – W 34-23
Nov. 11 – Alabama – L 31-24
Nov. 18 – at Arkansas – W 28-21
Nov. 23 – Ole Miss – L 31-28
Dec. 30 – Louisville – W 31-27*
*TaxSlayer Bowl

Returning statistical leaders

Rushing – Att – Yards – Avg – TD
Aeris Williams – 236 – 1107 – 4.7 – 6
Passing – Comp-Att – Int – TD – Yards
Nick Fitzgerald – 159-286 – 11 – 15 – 1782
Receiving – Rec – Yards – Avg – TD
Jesse Jackson – 27 – 276 – 10.2 – 0
Tackles – Total – Int – Sacks – TFL
Mark McLaurin – 79 – 6 – 1.5 – 3.5

Starters returning: 18
Offense: 9
Defense: 8
Specialty: 1

Starters lost: 6
Offense: 2
Defense: 3
Specialty: 1

Returning offensive starters: Deion Calhoun (OL, Sr.), Nick Fitzgerald (QB, Sr), Farrod Green (TE, Jr.), Jesse Jackson (WR, Sr.), Elgton Jenkins (OL, Sr.), Keith Mixon (WR, Jr.), Stewart Reese (OL, So.), Aeris Williams (RB, Sr.), Darryl Williams (OL, Jr.)
Returning defensive starters: Johnathan Abram (S, Sr.), Gerri Green (DE, Sr.), Braxton Hoyett (DT, Sr.), Leo Lewis (LB, Jr.), Mark McLaurin (S, Sr.), Chris Rayford (CB, Sr.), Jeffery Simmons (DT, Jr.), Montez Sweat (DE, Sr.)
Returning specialists: Jace Christman (K, So.), Tucker Day (P, So.)