That is what is in store when 17th-ranked Mississippi State heads to Athens to take on No. 11 Georgia this Saturday. Mississippi State (3-0) is coming off of a 37-7 domination of LSU, while Georgia ran all over FCS foe Samford, 42-14, getting 131 yards and two touchdowns from running back Nick Chubb.
The teams have played just four times in the 2000s, with Georgia winning three. That includes a 24-10 victory at home in 2011, but both teams are living in the now, not in the past.
"As far as where we are, I think playing a team like this this week will tell us a lot," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. "It's hard to say. I'm not going to sit here and say we've arrived, because I don't think that's the case. I think we've improved. I think we have to continue to improve to beat the teams we have on our schedule."
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| Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald has made Mississippi State's offense lethal (Clarion Ledger) |
Going on the road is never easy, especially in SEC play. But Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen believes his charges are ready -- or hopes so, anyway.
"We’ve got this tough challenge right now, going on the road playing in a tough environment against an excellent football team," Mullen said "It’s a different environment. Last week, we had our home SEC opener with a different level of play and a different style of game from our first two games. This week coming back, it’s our first SEC road game, which adds different challenges to the picture. The environment, the crowd noise – all those things are a little bit different.
"We don’t play Georgia very often. It’s only the third time since I’ve been head coach here that we’re going to be playing Georgia. We won’t be playing them again for another seven years after this. There’s some uniqueness in it."
A pair of young quarterbacks will be in the crosshairs, Nick Fitzgerald for Mississippi State and, most likely, Jake Fromm for Georgia (3-0).
Fitzgerald burst onto the scene as a sophomore last season, rushing for nearly 1400 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns -- and reminding fans in Starkville more than just a little bit of predecessor Dak Prescott. Fitzgerald was inconsistent throwing the football, completing just 54 percent of his passes. He's been a bit more precise this season, hitting nearly 61 percent, with eight touchdowns and just one interception.
“Decision making comes down to the processing of information, how fast you can process it and how comfortable you are on the field," Mullen said. "You’re really starting to see him process it and take what the defense gives him. A lot of times with young quarterbacks, what will happen is we’ll practice something and they’ll expect a look. When it doesn’t happen that exact same way, it’s almost like they wish it to happen that way, and they’re going to throw it. As they mature, when things don’t turn out exactly the way we practiced, are you still making good decisions? You see it, and you just take what the defense gives you. He’s maturing that way.”
While more disciplined with his arm, it is Fitzgerald's legs that will get the job done more often than not. He already has 240 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, and he's found a backfield companion in junior tailback Aeris Williams, who has 336 yards and a score.
Smart knows the challenge his defense -- which is allowing just 4.1 yards per play, one of the best figures in the country -- faces with Fitzgerald.
"He's unbelievably competitive, physical, big," Smart said. "A guy with good size, dimensions, has the ability to throw the ball, but can run. Nick played in a little bit of a different offense at high school. He's developed as a quarterback. To see him this year compared to all the games we watched last year in the off-season, he's one of the most vastly improved players because he's not one-dimensional any more. He was really a runner last year. That's not the case. I saw that same growth with Dak Prescott during his time at Mississippi State."
Georgia faced Brandon Wimbush of Notre Dame, who is also a dual threat quarterback, but that's where the similarities end.
"I think Wimbush and Nick are very different type guys," Smart said. "Nick is a unique quarterback with his length, ability to see over. He's a lot faster than you think, deceptively. He doesn't look as if, when you talk to people that played him, he's running real fast, but he is. I think that's different. Wimbush had a little bit more quick twitch. This kid is long and fast. When you get loose on him, you see him running away from SEC defenses. You didn't see that with Wimbush. They didn't play SEC defenses. This guy has gone up against the kind of defenses we've had repeatedly. He's faced that a bunch. He's a good player. We're excited for the opportunity to compete against him."
Fromm tossed three touchdown passes against Samford in his first home start and showed more poise than he did against Notre Dame, when he appeared rattled at times.
Incumbent starter Jacob Eason returned to practice on Wednesday and could be ready to go, so Mississippi State might not know until game time which quarterback it will face. Realistically, Fromm seems like the safer bet as he has gained momentum by the week, but Smart wasn't tipping his hand.
Georgia's defense is no slouch, allowing just 4.01 yards per play and has given up just four touchdowns in three contests. Linebacker Roquan Smith leads the way with 19 stops, while linebacker Lorenzo Carter has tallied three sacks in the last two games.
While people talk about Mississippi State's offense, the defense is a big reason the Bulldogs are unbeaten and trending up.
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| Stopping Georgia RB Nick Chubb will be a primary concern for Mississippi State (USAToday) |
MSU allows just 2.57 yards per carry and has given up just two touchdowns on the ground. Chubb is big-time, though Georgia could without Sony Michel, who sat out the Samford game with an ankle injury suffered against Notre Dame. Mississippi State is also grudging on third down, allowing just 21.4 percent conversions, and hopes to get Georgia off the field so that it cannot crank up its ground attack.
Todd Grantham, who comes over from Louisville and was Georgia's defensive coordinator from 2010-13, runs that side of the ball for the Mississippi State, and has always been known for having active stop units.
This one is no different, as safety Mark McLaurin (19 tackles) and star J.T. Gray (15) like to press up to the line of scrimmage to keep opponents from finding cutback lanes. The emergence of sophomore nose man Jeffery Simmons (17 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 2 blocked kicks) allows the back seven to play a bit more freely, as the front can get to the quarterback with four guys.
"I think Todd does a tremendous job," Smart said. "He's very smart, very knowledgeable, knows how to attack protections. He's a guy that's constantly working on getting better. He's got these guys believing and playing really hard, really physical. Got some good players. Got some big guys up front. They're playing hard. He's got some fast guys. They just seem like they have a lot of guys they play."
Mississippi State is one of the younger teams in the SEC, so to be on the verge of really contending in the conference this soon is nothing short of amazing.
Mullen has recruited well during his eight full seasons in Starkville, but it's not just about talent.
“We constantly talk about building the depth of guys being ready for when their opportunity comes," Mullen said. "We’ve tried to grow and build that depth. Guys are taking advantage of their opportunities. We’re a young team. There’s a lot of young players on this team. There’s not a senior on the defensive line, and yet you’re going to add some guys next year.”
Mississippi State has a tall task ahead, as it hasn't won in Athens since 1956. Now is a chance to prove they aren't just bark, but also bite.
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