Mississippi State
Southern Miss
State Tops Southern Miss 41-20
November 18, 2023 | Football
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State returned to the win column on Saturday as the Bulldogs rolled to a 41-20 victory over Southern Miss at Davis Wade Stadium. Eighteen fourth-quarter MSU points helped thwart a late Golden Eagle rally and carry the Bulldogs to the win.
Quarterback Will Rogers and running back Jo'Quavious Marks made their anticipated returns from injury and helped fuel an MSU offense that had 382 total yards. Rogers threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Marks rushed for 34 and had 15 yards receiving, including a scoring catch.
Marks and the ground game were the foundation for State's Saturday offensive success. The Bulldogs ran for 238 yards as a team – their second-highest single-game total this season – led by Jeffery Pittman's 98 yards and touchdown.
Defensively, the Bulldogs held the Golden Eagles to just 246 yards, in large part due to career days by several wearing Maroon and White.
Nathaniel Watson, Jett Johnson, Decamerion Richardson and J.P. Purvis all set career highs in tackles in the win.
Watson became the first Bulldog in 23 years to have a 20-plus tackle game as the veteran linebacker concluded his day with 21 takedowns, including a sack and a forced fumble.
Johnson had 18 tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and an interception. Richardson tallied 12 tackles while Purvis had eight.
Mississippi State actually trailed 7-3 after a quarter of play, but the second quarter turned the tide of the game.
The Bulldogs outscored the Golden Eagles 13-0 in the 15 minutes before halftime. Kyle Ferrie, who ended the day with four field goals, kicked two in the second quarter to add to an 8-yard touchdown reception by Lideatrick Griffin.
Leading 16-7 coming out of the locker room after the intermission, MSU added to its lead in the third quarter. That's when Rogers found Marks for a 15-yard touchdown pass early in the period to make it 23-7.
Southern Miss' Jakarius Caston ensured the Bulldogs couldn't coast to victory though. Caston bookended a Ferrie field goal with a pair of touchdowns. He scored on a 44-yard pass, as well as on a 98-yard kickoff return that closed State's lead to six.
However, big plays solidified the win for State. Down the stretch, Pittman broke loose for a 59-yard touchdown run. Then, on the Golden Eagles' ensuing drive, Johnson put the exclamation point on the MSU victory with a highlight-reel play that began with his interception, then ended when he pitched the ball back to teammate Marcus Banks who took off with the football and got the Dawgs a 69-yard score to ice the game.
The triumph served as MSU's fifth of the season and puts the Bulldogs just one win away from bowl eligibility. State has played in a bowl game in each of the previous 13 seasons. Mississippi State is one of only seven programs in the country that have gone to a bowl game every year since 2010. It's the third-longest bowl streak in the SEC, behind only Alabama and Georgia.
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Next Up for MSU…
Mississippi State is set to wrap up the 2023 regular season with the annual Battle for the Golden Egg. MSU and its instate rival, Ole Miss, will play on Thanksgiving night – Thursday, November 23. The Bulldogs and Rebels kick off at 6:30 p.m. and the game will be televised by ESPN.
