Running back Kylin Hill broke out in a big way for the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday. Can he get them over the top to play spoiler in the SEC West?
In one of the earlier kickoffs on Saturday in Week 2, the No. 18 Mississippi State Bulldogs put together a dominating road victory over the Kansas State Wildcats in Manhattan, 31-10.
Though it was senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald’s return to action after having been suspended Week 1 versus the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, the player of note for Mississippi State in this game was running back Kylin Hill. He broke out in a big way for the Bulldogs.
Hill rushed for 211 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries en route to an easy road win over Kansas State. He also had a 16-yard touchdown reception, bringing his trips to pay dirt to three on the afternoon.
Though Kansas State may not be anywhere close to as good as we might have thought, we do have to ask ourselves a few serious questions through two weeks about the Bulldogs: Is Mississippi State a serious contender in the SEC West? Do the Bulldogs have what it takes to play spoiler in the division? And what does Hill’s great play on Saturday have to do with any of this?
Well, with Mississippi State entering play as the No. 18 team in the country despite having a new head coach in Joe Moorhead, the former Penn State Nittany Lions offensive coordinator, we can’t cross the Bulldogs off just yet in the SEC West. Of course, they still have to play division rivals like Auburn, LSU and perpetual nemesis Alabama on the schedule. We’ll know how legit Mississippi State is soon enough.
As for if they can play spoiler in the SEC West, the Bulldogs have a compelling case and here’s why. Entering the year, we knew that Mississippi State had two undeniable strengths: the dual-threat dynamo that is Fitzgerald at quarterback and dominating defensive line headlined by defensive end Montez Sweat and nose tackle Jeffery Simmons.
Add in the brilliant play calling of Moorhead and there was reason to believe that Mississippi State would be capable of winning around 10 games this fall. This comes even after longtime head coach Dan Mullen left the program to lead the Florida Gators of the SEC East this past offseason.
So with Simmons and Sweat looking like NFL prospects, Fitzgerald looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC and Moorhead looking like he’s been coaching in the SEC for years, that might be enough to make Mississippi State ultra-competitive in the SEC West.
But here’s the kicker. Hill’s breakout performance against Kansas State on Saturday afternoon might have raised Mississippi State’s ceiling even more. Sure, the Bulldogs are already a top-five team in the SEC along with Alabama, Georgia, Auburn and LSU. However, Hill might be the key that turns this good Mississippi State team into Penn State Southeast.
That would be ideal for the Bulldogs, as Penn State has been a top-10 program in college football since James Franklin took over just a few years ago in Happy Valley. Penn State routinely contends in a deep Big Ten East with other college football powers like Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State annually. Moorhead has essentially gone from one elite Power 5 division to another. But will his Big Ten blueprint translate in the SEC West?
Well, Hill doesn’t look to be the generational specimen of Saquon Barkley. That being said, no one is and that really doesn’t matter for Hill or Mississippi State. What does matter is more 100-yard rushing games out of Hill going forward.
Hill’s elevated play will allow three things to happen for the Bulldogs. One, it will give Moorhead more opportunities to get creative in offensive play design, thus putting Hill’s teammates in even better positions to make plays. Two, this will take some pressure off Fitzgerald’s plate as the focal point of the offense. And three, Hill’s continued success will both chew up clock on offense, as well as set up Simmons and Sweat for better pass-rushing opportunities.
So if the quintet of Fitzgerald, Hill, Moorhead, Simmons and Sweat works in unison, what would that look like for Mississippi State? A good guess would be that 2018 Mississippi State could look like 2017 Auburn. Last year’s Auburn team beat its two biggest rivals in consecutive weeks to reach the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. That sounds like a good time for Mississippi State.
Yes, the building blocks are there for Mississippi State to potentially earn its second-ever trip to the SEC Championship Game this fall. That being said, while the Bulldogs do get Auburn at home, they will still have to play both Alabama and LSU on the road. In theory, Mississippi State will need to win two of those three games to have any realistic shot of getting to Atlanta.
Are we getting ahead of ourselves here? Totally, as Mississippi State only finished above .500 once in SEC play during Mullen’s nine-year tenure in Starkville. It should be noted that season was the unforgettable 2014 campaign that saw Dak Prescott become a star and Mississippi State be the first-ever team ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff poll by the Selection Committee. This year’s team is more talented.
For the first time in the College Football Playoff era, the top-tier of the SEC looks to be in rare form. As many as five teams can conceivably get to Atlanta this December. Mississippi State is very much in that mix with regards to the SEC elite. The Bulldogs do have the pieces to realistically contend in 2018.
It seems that Moorhead in his short time in Starkville has unearthed a gem at running back in the form of Hill. The question is if he will be the ultimate difference maker Mississippi State needs to beat rivals Alabama, Auburn and LSU. Simply put, Moorhead just needs to stay the course and put this Mississippi State puzzle together one piece at a time. Until then, let’s enjoy the great day that Hill had in Manhattan versus Kansas State. He single-handledly dominated the Wildcats.