Armed Forces Bowl Preview: Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
The Armed Forces Bowl has been played every year on the campus of TCU since 2003 except 2010 and 2011 when the stadium was under construction. Tulsa is making their third appearance in this bowl game as they previously lost to Utah, 25-13, in 2006 and BYU, 24-21, in 2011. Mississippi State is making its first appearance in this postseason game.
Tulsa lost their season opener to Oklahoma State, 16-7, before rattling off six straight victories to clinch a spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game where they fell to Cincinnati 27-24 to finish 6-2 overall in 2020.
Mississippi State had a down season as the Bulldogs finished 3-7 overall with wins coming against LSU, Vanderbilt, and Missouri in their first season under head coach Mike Leach. Normally this record wouldn’t be enough to qualify for postseason but due to COVID-19, the NCAA announced every team is eligible this season.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Date: Thursday, December 31
Game Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium – Fort Worth, Texas
TV: ESPN
Spread: Tulsa -2.5
Tulsa Overview
Offense
The Golden Hurricane scores 27.25 points a game by gaining 160.3 rushing yards and 241 passing yards. Senior quarterback Zach Smith leads this balanced attack throwing for 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns on the year.
The two-headed monster at the running back position include senior Corey Taylor II who has 431 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 85 attempts and sophomore running back Deneric Prince who has chipped in with 429 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 80 carries. One of the top targets is junior wide receiver Josh Johnson who has caught 37 passes for 495 yards and a team-high six receiving touchdowns.
Defense
Tulsa gives up 20.75 points while allowing 147.3 rushing yards and 194.13 passing yards per game. The leading tackler on the team is sophomore safety Kendarin Ray who has 57 total tackles including one for a loss and six pass breakups.
Junior linebacker Zaven Collins does a little bit of everything on the defense as he has chipped in with 53 total tackles including 11.5 for a loss, four sacks, four interceptions, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. The monster in the trenches is junior lineman Jaxon Player, who has 32 total tackles including nine for a loss, three sacks, and one fumble recovery.
Mississippi State
Offense
The Bulldogs averaged 20.7 points while throwing for 311.1 yards and rushing for 36 yards a game in their first season in Coach Leach’s Air Raid offense. After taking over halfway through the season, freshman quarterback Will Rogers threw for 1,828 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Freshman Jaden Walley is the leading receiver on the team with 48 catches for 691 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Osirus Mitchell leads the team with four receiving touchdowns while snagging 46 passes for 502 yards. The leading rusher on the team is freshman running back Jo’quavious Marks, who has 59 carries for 240 yards and two touchdowns while also having 238 receiving yards.
Defense
Mississippi State gives up 28.3 points while allowing 125.3 rushing yards and 255 passing yards per matchup. Senior linebacker Erroll Thompson leads the Bulldogs with 86 total tackles including 2.5 for a loss, two sacks, and one interception. Sophomore linebacker Aaron Brule has racked up 69 total tackles including eight for a loss, 3.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery.
Sophomore cornerback Martin Emerson has come up in the clutch by breaking up nine passes and having 67 total tackles. Senior defensive end Marquiss Spencer is a monster in the trenches as he has 30 total tackles including eight for a loss, three sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble.
Analysis
Mississippi State is only a slight underdog and have the forces on defense to slow down Tulsa keeping them at bay. The question remains if the Bulldogs can get their offense to click. If Tulsa can control the clock and keep their offense on the field the Golden Hurricane will win this game.
Final Score Prediction: Tulsa 27, Mississippi State 24
Photo credit: TulsaHurricane.com; Tulsa QB Zach Smith
Photo credit: Mississippi State Athletics; Mississippi State LB Erroll Thompson