If anyone believes South Carolina can simply show up Saturday afternoon, turn on “Sandstorm” and collect another victory, they haven’t been paying attention to Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs are 2-0, averaging 50 points per game and have produced 1,241 yards of total offense. They opened the season by hanging 62 points and a school-record 762 yards on Louisiana-Monroe. Then they went on the road and physically dominated Minnesota, 38-13.
This is not a Mississippi State team that wants to crawl into a phone booth and play traditional three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust football. Jeff Lebby wants to spread the field, play fast and force the defense to defend every blade of grass.
And right now, he has the quarterback to make it work.
The Man Running the Show
Sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor is quickly becoming one of the most dangerous young quarterbacks in the SEC.
Through two games, Taylor has thrown for 581 yards and seven touchdowns without an interception. He has also rushed for 145 yards and another score.
Against Minnesota, he completed 16 of 22 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns while adding 86 yards on the ground. Those numbers are impressive, but what caught my attention was how comfortable he looked running the offense.
Taylor is not just an athlete taking snaps. He has legitimate arm talent, he can attack the intermediate areas of the field and he can make a defense pay when it loses rush-lane discipline.
Carolina cannot treat him like a typical young quarterback and assume the atmosphere at Williams-Brice will rattle him. He just went into a Big Ten stadium and helped Mississippi State score touchdowns on all four of its first-half possessions.
The Bulldogs drove 75, 75, 72 and 76 yards on those possessions.
That is not luck. That is an offense operating with confidence and purpose.
The Two-Headed Problem
Taylor is dangerous enough by himself, but Mississippi State also has a legitimate running back in Fluff Bothwell.
Bothwell rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries against Minnesota, averaging 6.3 yards per attempt. Taylor added another 86 yards, giving Mississippi State a quarterback-running back combination that Carolina must account for on every snap.
The Bulldogs finished with 252 rushing yards against Minnesota and averaged 5.5 yards per carry.
That creates a major problem for a defense. If the linebackers become too aggressive attacking Bothwell, Taylor can pull the ball and get outside. If the edge defenders widen to contain Taylor, Bothwell can attack the interior.
The Gamecock defensive front cannot simply chase the football. It must play with discipline, maintain gap integrity and force Taylor to make decisions with bodies around him.
Miss one assignment and this offense can turn it into six points.
Taylor’s Primary Weapon
Wide receiver Anthony Evans III has established himself as Taylor’s top target.
Evans followed a 118-yard performance against Louisiana-Monroe with seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown against Minnesota. He now has 239 receiving yards through two games.
He can work underneath, create yards after the catch and stretch the defense vertically. Mississippi State will move him around and look for matchups it believes it can exploit.
But he is not Taylor’s only option.
Zion Ragins and Sanfrisco Magee both caught touchdown passes against Minnesota. When the Gophers tried to take away one part of the field, Taylor simply found someone else.
Carolina’s secondary cannot become so focused on Evans that it loses track of Mississippi State’s other weapons.
What Mississippi State Wants to Do
Jeff Lebby wants to create space, establish tempo and make the defense declare itself.
Mississippi State will use formations and motion to spread Carolina horizontally. Once the defense begins widening, the Bulldogs can attack the middle with Bothwell or use Taylor in the quarterback run game.
If the safeties begin creeping forward, Taylor has enough arm strength to attack behind them.
This offense is built around conflict. Almost every decision a defender makes creates an opportunity somewhere else.
The Gamecocks must communicate before the snap and tackle well after it. Mississippi State does not need to throw the ball 50 yards downfield to create explosive plays. The Bulldogs can turn a short completion or quarterback keeper into a major gain if the first defender misses.
The Defense Has Changed
Mississippi State’s defense was a major problem last season. The Bulldogs allowed more than 400 yards and 30 points per game while finishing 5-8.
That side of the football appears to be improving under defensive coordinator Zach Arnett.
Arnett’s 3-3-5 system is aggressive and designed to create confusion. He will bring pressure from different levels, move defenders before the snap and attempt to make the quarterback hesitate.
Against Minnesota, Mississippi State allowed only 13 rushing yards on 15 attempts. The Bulldogs surrendered 279 passing yards, but Minnesota needed 48 attempts to get them and never scored an offensive touchdown.
That tells us two things.
Carolina may have opportunities through the air, but Mississippi State has been extremely difficult to run against. After the Gamecocks’ uneven offensive performance against Towson, that is not a particularly comfortable matchup.
Kendall Briles will need to create favorable looks for LaNorris Sellers and avoid putting him in obvious passing situations where Arnett can turn his pressure packages loose.
Where Carolina Can Attack
Mississippi State’s defense has improved, but it is not invincible.
Minnesota completed 31 passes and moved the ball between the 20s. The Gophers put together drives of 58, 52 and 62 yards but could not finish them in the end zone.
That suggests Carolina should be able to find opportunities in the short and intermediate passing game.
The Gamecocks need to get Sellers into rhythm early with high-percentage throws, quick decisions and defined reads. Mazeo Bennett, DJ Black, Nyck Harbor and Brady Hunt must create separation and give Sellers clear throwing windows.
Carolina also needs to use Sellers’ legs deliberately. That does not mean asking him to carry the offense 20 times, but Mississippi State must be forced to account for him in the running game.
Designed quarterback runs, read-option concepts and movement passes could slow down Arnett’s pressure and prevent the Bulldogs from attacking one-dimensional protections.
Most importantly, Carolina has to finish drives. Minnesota moved the ball but repeatedly settled for field goals or came away empty. The Gamecocks cannot make that same mistake.
The Matchup That Concerns Me
The biggest concern is Mississippi State’s running game against Carolina’s defensive discipline.
Bothwell is physical enough to run through arm tackles, while Taylor is explosive enough to punish defenders who lose outside leverage. Carolina struggled at times against Towson with consistency, tackling and maintaining its intensity.
That cannot happen against this team.
Mississippi State averaged seven yards per play at Minnesota. The Bulldogs converted six of 10 third downs and produced 28 first downs. They were not living off turnovers or special-teams touchdowns. They lined up and moved the football.
If Carolina’s defense is undisciplined with its eyes, Mississippi State will make it pay.
The Matchup Carolina Must Win
South Carolina’s offensive line must win enough battles on first down to keep the entire playbook available.
The Gamecocks do not necessarily have to dominate Mississippi State’s defensive front, but they cannot live in second-and-nine and third-and-long.
That is exactly where Arnett wants an offense.
Carolina must establish some form of running game, protect Sellers and prevent negative plays. Even four-yard runs have value because they keep Mississippi State from dictating the next snap.
This game could turn on whether Carolina can consistently stay ahead of the chains.
Five Bulldogs to Know
Kamario Taylor, quarterback: The engine of the offense. Taylor has produced 726 combined passing and rushing yards with eight total touchdowns and no interceptions.
Fluff Bothwell, running back: A physical runner who gives the Bulldogs balance. He is coming off a 113-yard, two-touchdown performance.
Anthony Evans III, wide receiver: Taylor’s top receiving threat with 239 yards through two games.
Isaac Smith, safety: An experienced defender in the middle of Mississippi State’s secondary who helps organize Arnett’s 3-3-5 defense.
Tyler Lockhart, linebacker: An active defender who led Mississippi State with seven tackles and recorded a sack against Minnesota.
Five Things Carolina Must Do
1. Contain Taylor without becoming passive.
The Gamecocks must pressure him while maintaining rush-lane discipline. Running recklessly past him will create open field behind the defense.
2. Tackle Bothwell on first contact.
This cannot become a game filled with missed tackles and extra yards after contact.
3. Start fast offensively.
Mississippi State has scored 31 first-quarter points through two games. Carolina cannot spend another opening quarter trying to wake up.
4. Win in the red zone.
Minnesota moved the ball but failed to score an offensive touchdown. Carolina must turn its opportunities into seven points.
5. Respect the opponent.
Mississippi State is not coming to Columbia hoping to keep the game close. The Bulldogs believe they can win—and after watching them dismantle Minnesota, they have every reason to believe it.
JB’s Early Read
This matchup looks considerably more dangerous today than it did before the season.
Mississippi State has a young quarterback whose confidence is growing by the week, a productive running back, a legitimate No. 1 receiver and a defense that appears much more physical than it was a year ago.
Carolina has the home field and enough talent to win this game, but the Gamecocks will have to play considerably better than they did against Towson.
There can be no sleepy start, no careless turnovers and no waiting until halftime to discover a sense of urgency.
Mississippi State is coming to Williams-Brice to prove its 2-0 start is legitimate.
South Carolina had better be ready to prove it is, too.
