CFB Lines: In just a span of two weeks head coach Dan Mullen went from the hot seat to being celebrated as a turnaround artist as the Mississippi State Bulldogs won back to back overtime games to turn a 4-6 record into a 6-6 mark with bowl eligibility. The Bulldogs then annihilated Rice 44-7 in the Liberty Bowl to cap off a remarkable turnaround and sent expectations through the roof for 2014. It has been a steep and ugly fall for the Southern Miss Eagles since their peak of glory in 2011 when they went 12-2 and were Holiday Bowl champions as they have won just one solitary game since. The Mississippi State Bulldogs will host the Southern Miss Eagles on Saturday night with coverage on SEC Network starting at 7:30 PM ET. BetDSI opened with Mississippi State as a 30.5 point favorite.
Can Eagles Be Golden Again
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles were one of the most respected non BCS programs in the country and a regular on the bowl circuit before the last two years in which they went through a shocking collapse as only a season finale win at UAB prevented back to back winless seasons. A program that has had such legendary names as Brett Favre and Ray Guy is expected to be better and second year head coach Todd Monken has a real shot at improvement with 16 starters and 57 lettermen returning to a system and coach that they are now familiar with. Beyond that CUSA is a league in which teams can rise and fall quickly. Southern Miss has gone just 3-10 against the spread as a road dog.
Momentum and Experience for State
Junior QB Dak Prescott leads an offense that has eight returning starters and the defense also returns eight starters. A total of 57 lettermen return with just 12 lettermen having departed. Prescott is a highly versatile QB that ran for 17 TD’s last year while averaging over six yards per carry. Prescott’s top four receivers return and the defense has one of the better fronts in the SEC and was tough against the rush last year. This could be Mullen’s best Bulldog team and a fifth consecutive bowl bid is a near certainty but perhaps a lot more than that is possible.
Our Pick
Southern Miss is far too unproven to step out with here against a good SEC team which makes Mississippi State the call!
