Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State: Commodores Lead 13-0 at Halftime in Starkville as Bulldogs' First-Half Drought Continues

Vanderbilt led Mississippi State 13-0 at halftime at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville on Saturday, Nov. 7, according to the SEC’s live stats. The game is still in progress, and this story will be updated with the final score.

It’s a game with a lot riding on it for both teams. Vanderbilt (3-5, 0-5 SEC) came in on a five-game losing streak and without an SEC win. Mississippi State (4-4, 2-4) needs two more wins to become bowl eligible.

How Vanderbilt built its lead

The SEC box score shows Brock Taylor making both of his field goal tries in the first half, the longer one from 38 yards, plus an extra point. Running back Sedrick Alexander scored the Commodores’ touchdown on a 2-yard run. Vanderbilt led 3-0 after one quarter and added 10 points in the second.

Vanderbilt dominated the half:

• Total yards: Vanderbilt 181, Mississippi State 71
• First downs: Vanderbilt 12, Mississippi State 3
• Time of possession: Vanderbilt held the ball for 20:32 to the Bulldogs’ 8:11
• Red zone: Vanderbilt converted 3 of 4 trips and went 2 for 2 on fourth down

Freshman quarterback Jared Curtis went 10 of 14 for 102 yards with no interceptions. Mississippi State’s AJ Swann was 7 of 15 for 45 yards and threw an interception to Vanderbilt’s Jordan Matthews. Fluff Bothwell led the Bulldogs with 26 rushing yards.

Mississippi State’s first-half problem continues

Before kickoff, The Dispatch called scoring early the first key for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs hadn’t scored in the first half of a game since Oct. 3, the paper noted, and had trailed by double digits at halftime in four straight games. That streak has now reached five.

The Dispatch also pointed to Curtis’s eight interceptions in seven games as a chance for the Mississippi State defense, which had forced only two picks all season, the fewest in the SEC. Through two quarters, Curtis hadn’t given the Bulldogs one.

Context: two teams heading in opposite directions?

Vanderbilt came off a bye week trying to snap its five-game skid and earn its first conference win, according to On3’s preview. Pregame, the Commodores’ struggles to run the ball and Curtis’s turnovers were seen as their biggest weaknesses, and early lines had Mississippi State favored by about a field goal.

For Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby, the stakes are a bowl berth and his first six-win season in Starkville. The Dispatch noted that an FCS game against Tennessee Tech is still on the schedule, which made Saturday look like one of the Bulldogs’ best remaining chances for a sixth win.

Swann was back in the lineup after leaving last week’s 31-3 loss at Texas with an arm injury. He had come off the injury report this week.

FAQ