Postgame Notes: vs. UMass

Post Game Notes: Mississippi State vs. UMass

Game 09
Date	Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024
Location	Starkville, Miss.
Stadium	Davis Wade Stadium
Kickoff Time	3:20 p.m. CT
End Time	6:32 p.m. CT
Attendance	48,617
Weather	78 degrees / Sun Cloud Mix / Winds E at 5 mph
TV	SEC Network
Records	UMass: 2-7 Overall Mississippi State: 2-7 Overall, 0-5 SEC

Series History

This was the 3rd all-time meeting between Mississippi State and UMass. It was the first meeting since Nov. 7, 2017, when the two teams met in Starkville, a game Mississippi State won, 34-23.
Mississippi State leads the all-time series 3-0
Mississippi State leads the series 2-0 when the game is played in Starkville

General Notes

Game Captains: Ethan Miner (OL), Justin Ball (TE), Hunter Washington (S)
Coin Toss: Mississippi State lost the toss, and UMass deferred to the second half.
- It was the ninth straight game that Mississippi State has received the opening kickoff.
- Mississippi State is 3-6 on the coin toss this season.
Uniform Combo: Maroon (H) / Maroon (J) / White (P)
- Since 1973, Mississippi State is 132-85-3 when wearing the classic M/M/W combo.
- In the past 25 years, Mississippi State is 11-3 when wearing M/M/W on homecoming.
Mississippi State is celebrating homecoming against UMass. The Bulldogs are 59-23-3 all-time in homecoming games. This is the first time State has played UMass on homecoming.
Mississippi State is 14-1 in their last 15 homecoming games.
This is the first time since 2019 that Mississippi State played a non-SEC team for homecoming. In 2019, State beat Abilene Christian 45-7.
Mississippi State has won 10 straight homecoming games against opponents outside the SEC.

Team Notes

Mississippi State has had at least one reception of 30+ yards in seven games this season (Arizona State, Toledo, Georgia, Texas A&M, Arkansas and UMass).
Mississippi State has scored in 53 consecutive games dating back to Oct. 21, 2020.
State has scored eight touchdowns of 30+ yards this season.
The Bulldog's 97-yard drive was their longest touchdown drive of the season. The previous long was 92 yards against Texas A&M.

Offensive Notes

Kevin Coleman Jr. has caught a pass in 26 straight games. This is his eighth game this season with five or more receptions.
Mississippi State scored four touchdowns in under two minutes with drives of 1:38, 1:47, 1:58, and 0:35. State now has 13 scoring drives that have resulted in a touchdown lasting less than two minutes.
Mississippi State now has 12 drives that have resulted in a touchdown in five plays or less on the season.
Michael Van Buren Jr. scored the Bulldog's first points of the game in the second quarter with his 3rd career rushing touchdown. He now has a rushing touchdown in back-to-back games.
Seydou Traore caught his first touchdown pass as a Bulldog in the second quarter.
Michael Van Buren Jr. scored two rushing touchdowns in the game. This was the first time in his career that he had multiple rushing touchdowns in the same game. He also became the first Mississippi State quarterback to have a pair of rushing touchdowns in the same game since Garrett Schrader did it on Nov. 28, 2019, against Ole Miss.
Johnnie Daniels' 36-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was the longest run of his career.
With the Johnnie Daniels' touchdown, Mississippi State has now scored a touchdown on five second-half opening drives this season.
Johnnie Daniels set a career-high in rushing yards with 92.
Michael Van Buren Jr. broke his career-long rush with a 17-yard run in the 3rd quarter.
Davon Booth scored a touchdown for the fourth game in a row with a 30-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter.
Mississippi State had five rushing touchdowns as a team. It's the first time since Sept. 15, 2018, against Louisiana that State has scored five rushing touchdowns in a single game.
Mississippi State had four runs of 30+ yards. MSU now has seven runs of 30+ yards this season and is the third straight game that State has had a rush of over 30 yards.
Jordan Mosley's 107 receiving yards is the most in his career. This is also the most receiving yards for a Mississippi State receiver this season.
Fifth time this season that MSU has had a receiver have 100+ yards receiving.
Michael Van Buren Jr. now has thrown for 200+ yards in four straight games.
Sanfrisco Magee had his first career reception in the fourth quarter.
Xavier Gayten scored his first career touchdown on a 72-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Xavier Gaytens' 72-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was the longest run of the season for Mississippi State.
Xavier Gayten is now the fourth true freshman to score a touchdown this season joining Michael Van Buren Jr., Mario Craver, and Elijah Cannon.
Xavier Gaytens' 69 rushing yards is a career high.
Mississippi State ran for 241 yards which is the most on the season. It is the third time this year that State has rushed for 200+ yards.
With Xavier Gayten and Seydou Traroes' touchdowns, MSU now has 13 different players that have scored a touchdown this season.
Michael Van Buren Jr. won his first career game as the starting quarterback.
Kevin Coleman Jr. has now recorded 50+ receiving yards in eight of nine games this season.
Davon Booth has recorded 75+ rushing yards in three straight games and four times this season.
The Bulldogs' did not commit a turnover in the win over UMass which is the second game this year without a turnover.
Mississippi State had four different players score a rushing touchdown which is the first time since Sept. 19, 2015, against Northwestern State.

Defensive Notes

Ashun Shepphard made his first career start. He becomes the 13th Bulldog this season to make their first career start this season, tied for the second-most among Power-4 teams.
Josaiah Knight made his Mississippi State debut in the fourth quarter.
This is State's seventh straight game with a takeaway and fourth straight game with an interception.
Stone Blanton led the Bulldogs with 14 tackles against UMass.
Brylan Lanier earned his first career interception in the second quarter.
Sulaiman Kpaka earned his first QB hurry of the season.
Stone Blanton's fourth double-digit tackle game of the season and fifth of his career.
First time in Stone Blanton's career that he has had back-to-back games with 10+ tackles
State's six pass break-ups were the most for the Bulldogs in a single game this season.
Kai McClendon and Deonte Anderson shared a sack in the third quarter. That was McClendon's first career sack and Anderson's first of the season.
Ty Cooper made his first career sack in the fourth quarter.

Special Teams Notes

Hayes Hammond has served as the team's long snapper in 33 straight games, dating back to Nov. 25, 2021.
Nick Barr-Mira had one punt that went 51 yards. It was his 11th punt this season of 50+ yards.
Kyle Ferrie connected on a 24-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. It was his 8th made field goal of the season, and he is now 8-for-10 on the year.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Deonte Anderson

Justin Ball

Nick Barr-Mira

Stone Blanton

Davon Booth

Elijah Cannon

Kevin Coleman Jr.

Ty Cooper

Mario Craver

Johnnie Daniels

Kyle Ferrie

Xavier Gayten

Hayes Hammond

Josaiah Knight

Sulaiman Kpaka

Brylan Lanier

Sanfrisco Magee

Kai McClendon

Ethan Miner

Jordan Mosley

Ashun Shepphard

Seydou Traore

Michael Van Buren Jr.

Hunter Washington

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