Mississippi State
5-6 , 2-5
Abilene Christian [HC]
5-7 , 4-5
State Rolls Past Abilene Christian For 45-7 Homecoming Triumph
November 23, 2019 | Football
STARKVILLE – Six different Bulldogs found the end zone as Mississippi State cruised to a 45-7 rout of Abilene Christian on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium.
The Bulldogs (5-6) have won 42 of their last 49 non-conference games, including 10 straight homecoming contests.
"I thought there were a ton of positive things in the run game," head coach Joe Moorhead said. "I thought we did some things in the pass game. The defense held them [Abilene Christian] to seven [points]. We did a good job with our PAT's and our field goals. I'm an English major, not a math guy. I know you've got to get to five before you get to six. At the end of the day, pleased with the win and ready to move on to Egg Bowl week."
Tommy Stevens fueled MSU's offensive attack as he recorded 165 yards through the air while completing 13 of his 27 attempts. He also ran for 88 yards on seven carries.
Kylin Hill racked up 153 yards on the ground on 16 carries as State outrushed Abilene Christian (5-7) by a 372-27 margin. State's rushing output marks the sixth 300-yard rushing game under Joe Moorhead and the Bulldogs are 12-0 when eclipsing 300 yards on the ground.
With his performance, Hill has compiled seven 100-yard rushing games this season, which is tied for third in MSU single-season history, and 10 such games in his career, which is tied for sixth. Hill's 153 yards moved him into fourth in single-season history with 1,215 rushing yards in his junior campaign. His career total is 2,342 rushing yards, which ranks 10th in program history.
Mississippi State jumped out to an early 7-0 lead with 5:13 remaining in the first quarter as Nick Gibson plunged into the endzone from four yards out.
A Deddrick Thomas 11-yard touchdown reception on the first possession of the second quarter extended the Bulldogs' lead to 14 at the 12:00 mark.
The Bulldogs' next possession lasted just 14 seconds as Stevens connected with Hill on an 88-yard pass to the endzone to pust MSU up, 21-0. The 88-yard pass was the longest of the season for the Bulldogs.
Abilene Christian's lone score came with 2:07 remaining in the second as Luke Anthony found Tracy James from four yards out to bring the Wildcats within two scores.
Midway through the third quarter, Stevens hauled 30-yards into the endzone for the longest rushing touchdown of his career.
State put together a 12-play, 4:09 drive highlighted by a 17-yard scamper by Hill that culminated with a Jace Christmann field goal to extend MSU's lead to 31-7 in the fourth quarter.
Garrett Shrader, who entered the game in the middle of the fourth, connected with Austin Williams for a 6-yard touchdown reception and then found paydirt with a 10-yard scramble to bring the score to its final 45-7 margin.
The Maroon and White's defensive attack was led by Shawn Preston Jr. who recorded a career-high eight tackles, ignited by three solo stops. Brian Cole II and Tim Washington followed with seven tackles each. The Bulldogs recorded a season-high four sacks.
Jaquarius Landrews and Fred Peters each grabbed one interception. With the two interceptions, State has recorded a takeaway in 24 of their last 27 games, including an interception in 18 of the last 24 games.
State now sets its sights on the regular season-ending matchup with rival Ole Miss on Thanksgiving night, Nov. 28, in the annual Battle for the Golden Egg. The 116th clash between the Bulldogs (5-6, 2-5 SEC) and Rebels (4-7, 2-5 SEC) is set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT at Davis Wade Stadium and will be televised nationally by ESPN.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU football on its social media platforms by searching for "HailStateFB" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Team Stats
ACU 0, MS 7
MS - Nick Gibson 4 yd run (Jace Christmann kick), 5 plays, 35 yards, TOP 2:09
ACU 0, MS 14
MS - Deddrick Thomas 11 yd pass from Tommy Stevens (Jace Christmann kick) 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:52
ACU 0, MS 21
MS - Kylin Hill 88 yd pass from Tommy Stevens (Jace Christmann kick) 1 plays, 88 yards, TOP 0:14
ACU 7, MS 21
ACU - James,T. 4 yd pass from Anthony,L. (Zepeda,B. kick) 8 plays, 47 yards, TOP 3:24
ACU 7, MS 28
MS - Tommy Stevens 30 yd run (Jace Christmann kick), 6 plays, 90 yards, TOP 2:27
ACU 7, MS 31
MS - Jace Christmann 40 yd field goal 12 plays, 70 yards, TOP 4:09
ACU 7, MS 38
MS - Austin Williams 6 yd pass from Garrett Shrader (Jace Christmann kick) 11 plays, 80 yards, TOP 5:26
ACU 7, MS 45
MS - Garrett Shrader 10 yd run (Jace Christmann kick), 3 plays, 62 yards, TOP 0:51
