Auburn vs. Mississippi State: Game Grades, Analysis for Tigers and Bulldogs
For the second straight week, the Mississippi State Bulldogs took an early 21-point lead on a ranked opponent, this time knocking out the No. 2 Auburn Tigers.
Dan Mullen's team will happily take the victory, but the 38-23 win was far from a complete performance.
Auburn
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| Pass Offense | C- | D+ |
| Run Offense | B | B- |
| Pass Defense | B | B- |
| Run Defense | D | D- |
| Special Teams | B+ | A- |
| Coaching | B- | C |
Pass Offense: Nick Marshall constantly overthrew his receivers, and a pair of tipped passes resulted in a Mississippi State touchdown and the game-sealing play. D'haquille Williams, however, continues to draw major attention, snagging six passes for 108 yards and two scores.
Run Offense: Marshall, Cameron Artis-Payne and Roc Thomas relied on the read-option, combining for 212 yards on the ground. The ground game disappeared when Auburn entered the red zone, though, which forced the Tigers to settle for too many field goals.
Pass Defense: Jonathan Jones intercepted what was supposed to be a back-shoulder throw, and he added another on an underthrown Dak Prescott pass. The secondary was never beaten over the top but had trouble covering intermediate routes, which Mississippi State successfully attacked.
Run Defense: Completely stopping Prescott and Josh Robinson is practically impossible, but Auburn could hardly contain the duo. Granted, the Tigers did have one particular outstanding defensive series, forcing a punt after facing 1st-and-2.
Special Teams: Daniel Carlson pulled a 27-yard field goal wide left but recovered to make his other three attempts, as well as two extra points. He managed 42.8 yards on six punts, and Auburn jumped on a muffed one, too.
Coaching: Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson dialed up a handful of well-timed blitzes, but the Tigers allowed 8-of-17 third-down conversion attempts. Auburn needs to use Marshall's legs more often than his arm, because the quarterback is clearly hampered by accuracy issues.
Mississippi State
| Pass Offense | B | B |
| Run Offense | A- | A |
| Pass Defense | B- | B |
| Run Defense | B | B- |
| Special Teams | F | D |
| Coaching | C- | B |
Pass Offense: Prescott didn't have another Heisman-worthy day, but he was decent through the air despite missing top wideout Jameon Lewis once again. Prescott finished the day 18-of-34 with two interceptions, but he tossed one touchdown to De'Runnya Wilson, who led the Bulldogs with 72 yards.
Run Offense: It's clear Prescott has improved his decision-making, especially as it pertains to tucking and running. The junior powered his way to 121 yards and two scores, while Robinson added 97 and two touchdowns of his own.
Pass Defense: Mississippi State actually allowed quite a few open receivers, but Marshall was unable to connect with them. Though Williams and Coates separated from the Bulldogs, passes often sailed over their heads. Nevertheless, Jay Hughes and Justin Cox snared the crucial interceptions.
Run Defense: One season after limiting Auburn to 120 total yards on the ground, Mississippi State had an up-and-down day against the run. The run defense started great, then trailed off and ultimately surrendered 5.4 yards per carry.
Special Teams: The Bulldogs have one glaring weakness, and it's special teams. Jamoral Graham couldn't handle a punt for the second straight week, and a fake punt resulted in an interception. Evan Sobiesk nailed all five extra points and a 21-yard chip-shot.
Coaching: Mullen called an extremely questionable fake, but Mississippi State had an otherwise superb gameplan. While the Bulldogs only lost one fumble, they mishandled the football five times, so the coaches must address those issues during a bye week.
Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.
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