STARKVILLE, Miss. – In an early game Saturday, Mississippi State (2-3, 1-2 SEC) fell to Auburn (4-2, 2-1) by a score of 38-14 at Davis Wade Stadium, reported the university.
The Bulldogs forced a turnover on the Tigers’ first possession of the game when senior safety Kivon Coman intercepted a tipped pass, but after failing to convert the turnover to points, the game saw Auburn score five-straight unanswered touchdowns to a take 35-0 lead into the half. Tiger running back Kamryn Pettway had a career day with 39 carries for 169 yards and three touchdowns, all coming during that 35-point streak.
The Bulldogs were paced offensively by sophomore quarterback Nick Fitzgerald on the ground and through the air, as he completed 17-of-34 passes for 181 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while also rushing 17 times for 61 yards. He connected with Keith Mixon and Fred Ross on TD passes in the second half.
In addition to two forced fumbles and the interception defensively, MSU had two sacks and three tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Richie Brown led all players with 14 total tackles.
Next up for the Bulldogs is a special Friday night road trip to face BYU in Provo, Utah. The game, on Oct. 14, will kickoff at 8:15 p.m. MT (9:15 p.m. CT) and be televised by ESPN.
