Minnesota and Mississippi State will meet for the first time Saturday as the Golden Gophers host the Bulldogs in a Big Ten vs. SEC clash that will shape the season-long outlook for both teams. Both passed their Week 1 tuneups with ease ahead of a nonconference showdown that will also contribute to the early narratives around their respective conferences.
The SEC finished Week 1 at a perfect 16-0 heading into a significantly more challenging Week 2 that will be a true test of the conference's strength. The Bulldogs shredded Louisiana-Monroe for a whopping 762 yards in a 62-13 season-opening romp, but now must contend with a Gophers defense that limited Eastern Illinois to four first downs in Week 1. Something will have to give as Mississippi State and its budding star quarterback, Kamario Taylor, head north to face a Minnesota program predicated on physicality.
The Gophers' last regular-season game against an SEC team came in 1959, while Mississippi State's last regular-season game against a Big Ten opponent came in 1980. The matchup's rare ingredients, combined with the lingering uncertainty surrounding both teams, make for an intriguing battle. Add in the contrasting styles of Mississippi State's up-tempo attack and Minnesota's gritty DNA, and you get one of Week 2's more intriguing showdowns.
Kamario Taylor's rise: Mississippi State took the Tim Tebow approach with sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor during his freshman season, using him situationally while letting a veteran handle the bulk of the quarterbacking duty. But there was no hiding his potential, and Taylor was doing it all by season's end, casting a vision of hope for what Year 3 of Jeff Lebby's tenure could be. Taylor's five-touchdown performance in the Bulldogs' opener only added to the hype.
Can Minnesota run the ball? Tenth-year Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck built his program on a relentless rushing attack, but that rushing attack has fallen on hard times.
Over the past two seasons, the Gophers ranked outside the top 100 nationally in rushing offense. While it hasn't derailed the program -- Minnesota has finished 8-5 each of the past two seasons -- it has left the program in search of an offensive identity that could help it once again challenge for double-digit victories. Can this season be different?
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