[ad_1]
Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill (8) stands out from Auburn's linebacker Darrell Williams (49) on the first day of play in the first half of their college football game in Starkville. Missouri, Saturday, October 6 2018. (Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press)
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Nick Fitzgerald ran for 195 yards and two touchdowns and the Mississippi State defense had another dominant performance with a 23-9 win over the No. 8 Auburn on Saturday night.
Mississippi State (4-2, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) ranked among the top 10 defensemen in the nation, and the Bulldogs were once again brilliant on this side of the ball. The Tigers played two big games, but once near the end zone, the Bulldogs were paralyzed.
Auburn (4-2, 1-2) chose three placements, which was not enough.
The Mississippi offense was a show for two men between Fitzgerald and Kylin Hill. Fitzgerald, who is 6-foot-5, 230-pound, became the SEC's career leader with a quarterback rushing yards in a 39-yard fourth quarter run. He overtook former Florida star Tim Tebow for first place.
Hill had 126 yards in 23 races, including several crucial heats in the second half. The Bulldogs finished with 349 yards in the race.
The Tigers were an offensive disaster and two big mistakes canceled two touchdowns.
The first was when Jarrett Stidham overthrew Darius Slayton, a very open player, for a six point advantage. The second was when JaTarvious Whitlow ran for 41 yards but missed just before crossing the goal line. Mississippi State recovered in the end zone for a touchback.
Stidham finished 19 of 38 passes for 214 yards. The Tigers managed only 304 yards.
The Bulldogs have struggled in offense over the past two weeks, scoring a total of 13 points in defeats against Kentucky and Florida. They could not pitch against the Tigers, but the Fitzgerald-Hill combo was enough to push them to victory.
After a tight first half, the Mississippi State finally managed a touchdown when Fitzgerald hit Auburn 's defensive line on a dive of one meter in the second quarter. It was the Bulldogs' first touchdown in eight quarters – dating back to the second quarter of the team's 28-7 loss to Kentucky on September 22 – and gave them a 13-3 lead at half-time.
Fitzgerald added a 21-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
L & # 39; boarding
The Auburn offensive never took place and it cost them a win at the SEC. Stidham looked uncomfortable all night and the big mistakes were costly. The Tigers will probably dive into the Top 25 AP on Sunday.
The Mississippi State offensive started slowly, but the Bulldogs were good enough on the field to win a victory. The defense continues to be excellent. The Bulldogs now have a week off before going to LSU for an interesting match at Baton Rouge.
FOLLOWING
Auburn hosts Tennessee next Saturday.
The state of Mississippi will be on leave next weekend and will be going to the LSU on October 20th.
___
Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP.
___
More college football at colleges: https://apnews.com/tag/collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
[ad_2]
Source link
