Vanderbilt feasts on MSU turnovers in 31-13 blowout
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Vanderbilt feasts on MSU turnovers in 31-13 blowout
By Ian R. Rapoport
irapopor@clarionledger.com
NASHVILLE — The evidence was there in the opening quarter. If Mississippi State's offense could keep the ball in its hands, if it could keep the ball on the ground, it could move it on Vanderbilt.
The offense just never got to prove it.
As has happeneded so often in this trying season, the Bulldogs turned the ball over at the most inopportune times. They pinned themselves at their own goal line when they needed to respond. They penalized themselves when their emotions were highest.
They never gave themselves a chance.
And so, with its 31-13 loss to SEC-opponent Vanderbilt, Mississippi State remains winless in the SEC, while the Commodores earned their first victory of the season in front of 27,292 fans at Vanderbilt Stadium.
It's frustrating," receiver Will Prosser said. "We moved the ball at times, then we'd have a mistake, or a turnover. Against a good football team — or anybody, as a matter of fact — you can't do that."
Mississippi State (1-4, 0-4 SEC) turned the ball over four times, which directly led to 24 Vanderbilt points. It is the ninth-straight SEC loss for State, which has 13 turnovers in its last three games
"Coming into the game, I thought we had a good chance of winning," coach Sylvester Croom said. "We had too many turnovers offensively. When we had the opportunity to make plays, we didn't."
State outgained Vanderbilt (1-3, 1-2 SEC) 107-72 yards in the first quarter, during which it took a 7-3 lead. Running back Jerious Norwood had 51 yards on six carries and a touchdown, which seemed to foreshadow a huge day for the junior.
Then Vanderbilt scored its first touchdown in the opening minutes of the second quarter to make it 10-7.
Senior Fred Reid fielded the ensuing kickoff for Mississippi State at the goal line, fumbled it, then recovered at the two at 12:45 left in the second quarter.
Then came the ultimate of momentum-stealers. Quarterback Kyle York dropped back to pass and hit Will Prosser, who out-jumped a Vanderbilt defender, to catch what looked to be a 96-yard touchdown.
But the call was offensive pass-interference, the play was called back, and State punted it away. It would've been the longest pass play in Bulldogs history.
"It would've definitely boosted our ego," York said. "But it doesn't excuse the way we played the rest of the game."
Vanderbilt's Steven Bright scored on a 1-yard touchdown run on the next drive, and the Commodores led 17-7.
All of the sudden, State was staring a 10-point deficit in the face and the play-calling shifted. By halftime, the score was 24-7 Vanderbilt, and State couldn't turn and hand it off.
"We had success running the ball early, but we had to change our game plan," said Norwood, who finished with 67 yards on 12 carries with a career-high two touchdowns. "They started putting points on the board and we had to start passing."
Mississippi State did pass. Thirty-six times, to be exact. All but four of them came from the rebuilt right arm of junior York, who started because Omarr Conner sprained his MCL against LSU.
It was York's first start since a win over Memphis in 2002 and his first since his shoulder was reconstructed following last season.
York finished 16 of 32 for 127 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions.
On York's first pass-attempt, he completed a 6-yard pass to Tee Milons, who started for State. His second attempt was also intended for Milons — and was into the wind downfield.
It was intercepted by Vanderbilt's Bill Alford.
Patrick Johnson hit a 34-yard field goal at 8:56 in the first quarter to make it 3-0 Vanderbilt.
With 2:19 left in the half, the Bulldogs looked to put together a scoring drive to end the half. But York's pass-attempt to Ty Freeman, who was running slant route, was intercepted by Lorenzo Parker.
York's third interception came on a deep ball later in the game.
"If I forced the ball to try and make a play, that's probably not something I should do," said York, who, as expected, was relieved by freshman Mike Henig for three series. "And I don't excuse that. Coaches don't call any plays we don't execute during the week."
Instead, it was Vanderbilt executing. It scored running the ball, passing the ball, and operating with the option.
Its main weapon Jay Cutler had 49 yards rushing, including a killer 26-yard run on the option in which he threw a nasty ball-fake on State's Deljuan Robinson and sprinted in for a score.
"He had pretty good reads on the option and kind of lost us a couple times," Robinson said. "The offense is a difficult offense to play against."
For Mississippi State, it was a new verse to the same song they have been hearing all season.
"It's the story of our year to this point," York said. "We made mistakes that kept us from establishing ourselves."
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Vanderbilt feasts on MSU turnovers in 31-13 blowou
