The Mississippi State Bulldogs travel to Memorial Stadium tonight to face the Missouri Tigers in a big SEC matchup. The Bulldogs have won three straight since taking their second loss of the season and will look to pick up another conference win Thursday night. Missouri has struggled this season and comes into the game on a three-game losing streak.
While Missouri has struggled to score points, its defense has been solid in holding opposing offenses. The Tigers defense is giving up an average of 12.5 points per game, but the team is only 4-4. Missouri is coming off back-to-back losses in which its opponent scored 10 points or less. The Tigers will need their offense to step up if they want a win Thursday, as their defense has been getting the job done.
Quarterback Maty Mauk has been suspended for the remainder of the 2015 season after just returning from a four-game suspension for violating team rules. The Tigers' starting quarterback was reportedly involved in an altercation at a bar hours after apologizing to his team. Freshman quarterback Drew Lock will look to make his fifth start for the Tigers this season against the Bulldogs.
Lock won his first game starting against South Carolina but has since lost three straight. The freshman quarterback has thrown for 763 yards with three touchdowns to three interceptions this season. Lock will look to get the ball out of his hands quickly, as he faces a great pass rush from Mississippi State.
Defensive end Myles Garrett consistently creates havoc for opposing quarterbacks and will look to get after Lock Thursday night. Garrett has 9.5 sacks this season and 15.5 tackles for loss. An NFL scout reportedly believes that Garrett is the best prospect in all of college football right now.
While Garrett leads the defense for the Bulldogs, quarterback Dak Prescott leads the offense. The senior quarterback has thrown for more than 2,000 yards on the season and has 14 touchdown passes to just one interception. Prescott is a dual threat quarterback, as he has already rushed for 371 yards and seven touchdowns this season. At 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, Prescott can run through tackles and make plays on the ground.
Both teams are in desperate need of a win Thursday, as they have fallen behind in conference play. The game starts at 9 p.m. Eastern time, and you can watch the live broadcast here. To listen to the Bulldogs' radio broadcast, click here, and for the Tigers' broadcast, go here.
