STARKVILLE – Following a second consecutive game where its dominant defense allowed 13 points or less, Mississippi State football finds itself back among the top 15 teams in the nation in the Amway Coaches poll.
The Bulldogs climbed six spots from No. 21 to No. 15 in the Coaches poll, while MSU moved up to No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25.
State (6-2, 2-3 SEC) erupted for 532 yards of total offense in a 45-3 thumping of Louisiana Tech (6-3) on Saturday night in Davis Wade Stadium highlighted by four touchdown passes from senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald.
The Bulldogs are the fifth-highest ranked SEC squad in the polls behind top-ranked Alabama, No. 5 Georgia, No. 9/10 LSU and No. 12 Kentucky. MSU is ranked for the 16th time in 18 weeks dating back to last season. All three of the Bulldogs’ losses have come to teams in the current polls.
The second edition of the College Football Playoff rankings will be unveiled Tuesday night on ESPN.
Bob Shoop’s Bulldog defensive unit has allowed the fewest touchdowns in the nation (9), and they rank second in the FBS in scoring defense (12.3 ppg) behind only UAB (12.1 ppg). State has issued just two touchdowns in opponents’ last 51 possessions dating back to the third quarter of the Florida game.
MSU has been equally impressive when opponents get into the redzone. The Bulldogs have allowed just five touchdowns in 21 redzone attempts, a 21.7 percent figure that is tops in the nation.
With bowl eligibility already secured for a school-record ninth straight season, MSU will take on No. 1 Alabama at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The contest will be televised live on CBS. It will be just the third time since 2000 that both teams are ranked in the top 15 at the time of the meeting and the first since 2014.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the MSU football team on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB." All-access coverage is also available on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap.
Associated Press Top 25
1. Alabama (60)
2. Clemson
3. Notre Dame
4. Michigan
5. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
7. West Virginia
8. Ohio State
9. LSU
10. Washington State
11. UCF
12. Kentucky
13. Syracuse
14. Utah State
15. Texas
16. Fresno State
17. Boston College
18. Mississippi State
19. Florida
20. Washington
21. Penn State
22. NC State
23. Iowa State
24. Michigan State
25. Cincinnati
Amway Coaches Poll
1. Alabama (63)
2. Clemson (1)
3. Notre Dame
4. Michigan
5. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
7. Ohio State
8. West Virginia
9. Washington State
10. LSU
11. UCF
12. Kentucky
13. Syracuse
14. Boston College
15. Mississippi State
16. Utah State
17. Fresno State
18. Washington
19. Texas
20. Penn State
21. Florida
22. NC State
23. Cincinnati
24. Utah
25. Iowa State
The Bulldogs climbed six spots from No. 21 to No. 15 in the Coaches poll, while MSU moved up to No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25.
State (6-2, 2-3 SEC) erupted for 532 yards of total offense in a 45-3 thumping of Louisiana Tech (6-3) on Saturday night in Davis Wade Stadium highlighted by four touchdown passes from senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald.
The Bulldogs are the fifth-highest ranked SEC squad in the polls behind top-ranked Alabama, No. 5 Georgia, No. 9/10 LSU and No. 12 Kentucky. MSU is ranked for the 16th time in 18 weeks dating back to last season. All three of the Bulldogs’ losses have come to teams in the current polls.
The second edition of the College Football Playoff rankings will be unveiled Tuesday night on ESPN.
Bob Shoop’s Bulldog defensive unit has allowed the fewest touchdowns in the nation (9), and they rank second in the FBS in scoring defense (12.3 ppg) behind only UAB (12.1 ppg). State has issued just two touchdowns in opponents’ last 51 possessions dating back to the third quarter of the Florida game.
MSU has been equally impressive when opponents get into the redzone. The Bulldogs have allowed just five touchdowns in 21 redzone attempts, a 21.7 percent figure that is tops in the nation.
With bowl eligibility already secured for a school-record ninth straight season, MSU will take on No. 1 Alabama at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The contest will be televised live on CBS. It will be just the third time since 2000 that both teams are ranked in the top 15 at the time of the meeting and the first since 2014.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the MSU football team on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB." All-access coverage is also available on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap.
Associated Press Top 25
1. Alabama (60)
2. Clemson
3. Notre Dame
4. Michigan
5. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
7. West Virginia
8. Ohio State
9. LSU
10. Washington State
11. UCF
12. Kentucky
13. Syracuse
14. Utah State
15. Texas
16. Fresno State
17. Boston College
18. Mississippi State
19. Florida
20. Washington
21. Penn State
22. NC State
23. Iowa State
24. Michigan State
25. Cincinnati
Amway Coaches Poll
1. Alabama (63)
2. Clemson (1)
3. Notre Dame
4. Michigan
5. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
7. Ohio State
8. West Virginia
9. Washington State
10. LSU
11. UCF
12. Kentucky
13. Syracuse
14. Boston College
15. Mississippi State
16. Utah State
17. Fresno State
18. Washington
19. Texas
20. Penn State
21. Florida
22. NC State
23. Cincinnati
24. Utah
25. Iowa State
