Bulldogs Fall To No. 2 Crimson Tide In Tuscaloosa

Saturday, October 31

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

1-4 , 1-4

#2 Alabama

6-0 , 6-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Mississippi State

Alabama

Bulldogs Fall To No. 2 Crimson Tide In Tuscaloosa

October 31, 2020 | Football

Box Score Box Score Postgame Notes Postgame Quotes Video: Game Highlights Photo Gallery

By: Mikaela Elizondo, Graduate Assistant/Communications

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Mississippi State could not overcome No. 2 Alabama's passing game on Saturday night, as the Bulldogs fell to the Crimson Tide in a 41-0 loss at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Alabama (5-0, 5-0 SEC) jumped out to an early 17-0 lead in the first quarter. On its first possession, the Crimson Tide put together an 8-play, 61-yard march that culminated in a Will Reichard field goal from 40 yards out. A pair of touchdown passes from Mac Jones to DeVonta Smith in three minutes extended Alabama's advantage to 17 and set the tone for the night.

Reichard successfully hit another field goal eight seconds into the second quarter, and Jones found Smith from 11 yards out to bring the score to 27-0 at halftime.

The Bulldogs (1-4, 1-4 SEC) were able to gain momentum late in the contest, registering 162 yards of total offense during the second half. Late in the third quarter, MSU drove into Alabama territory but Dylan Moses intercepted Will Rogers' pass in the endzone to hold State scoreless and end their threat.

Smith reeled in his fourth touchdown reception of the game and Patrick Surtain intercepted Rogers' pass and returned it 25 yards to the endzone to bring the score to its final 41-0 margin.

Through the air, Rogers, who entered the game in the second quarter, was 24-of-37 passing for a career-high 147 yards with two interceptions. K.J. Costello hit on 4-of-11 of his pass attempts for 16 yards.

Running back Jo'quavious Marks caught eight passes for a team-high 38 yards. He also carried nine times for 32 yards.

Defensively, State was led by Erroll Thompson who posted double-digit tackles for the fourth time in five games this season. Additionally, four Bulldogs matched or surpassed their previous career highs in tackles.

Quotable…

"The good news with us is that we've got some great young guys that will be around for a while. This is a great starting point for them. Some of them probably wouldn't be starting now if it weren't out of necessity. I think in the end, the reps and experience is going to pay off." – Mike Leach

Notables From Tonight's Game…

State's Takeaway Run Continues

Linebacker Tyrus Wheat recovered a fumble on the Bulldogs' goal-line stand in the fourth quarter. State denied Alabama from the 3-yard line three times before Wheat's recovery on fourth down.

MSU has collected at least one takeaway in 31 of their last 34 games dating back to the 2017 season at Arkansas on Nov. 18. State has compiled 58 takeaways over the 34-game stretch.

MSU's Defense Holds Strong

State's defense held the Alabama offense scoreless in the third quarter, becoming the first team to hold the Crimson Tide to no points in a quarter in 2020. The Maroon and White also limited Alabama to a season-low 291 passing yards, and the Crimson Tide did not record a rushing touchdown for the first time this season.

Erroll Thompson Paces Defense

Thompson led the Mississippi State defense with a game-high 11 tackles, ignited by five solo stops. The 11-tackle performance marks the senior's fourth double-digit tackle game in the last five games.

Marks Enters The Record Books

Marks tallied eight receptions to bring his season total to 31 in his freshman campaign. He is now tied for fourth in school history among running backs for catches in a season and third among all Bulldog freshmen.

Payton In The Return Game

JaVonta Payton returned a career-high four kickoffs for a career-high 72 yards. He added 16 receiving yards to lead MSU with 88 all-purpose yards.

Bowman's Career-Long Punt

Reed Bowman punted a career-high five times for 196 yards, which was also a career-high. Bowman's 54-yard punt in the second quarter was the longest of his career. The punt marked the third 50-plus yard punt of Bowman's career and fifth downed inside the 20. He later added a sixth when he punted 38 yards to Alabama's 12-yard line.

Next Up for MSU…

State returns home next Saturday, Nov. 7, to host Vanderbilt (0-4, 0-4 SEC) in MSU's 2020 Homecoming matchup. Kickoff between the Bulldogs and Commodores is slated for 3 p.m. CT and the contest will be televised by the SEC Network.

For more information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU football on its social media platforms by searching for "HailStateFB" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.