The Battle for Highway 82 comes Saturday between Alabama and Mississippi State.
Mike Leach is in his second year as head coach of the Bulldogs, and his “Air Raid” offense has taken root.
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Mississippi State has improved on offense and defense and could be undefeated.
It dropped matchups against Memphis and LSU by a combined five points. During the early years of Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa, the Bulldogs and South Carolina were the most physical opponents for Alabama.
Coach Leach wants to stress out defensive secondaries and linebackers; however, his teams remain with a brand of toughness.
Mississippi State enters the contest at 3-2, and the cowbells will be going in Starkville, Miss.
The Tide looks for a bounce-back win in its third hostile environment. People are looking forward to how Saban’s team responds after a loss.
The Bulldogs have several impactful players, but its best five athletes are listed below.
Will Rogers – Quarterback
Coach Saban raved about Will Rogers in Monday’s press conference.
As a sophomore, the native Mississippian is more comfortable in Leach’s offense. Rogers leads all quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference for completion percentage (75.7) and passing yards (1,862) while being third for touchdowns (14).
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
