Copyright Essentially Sports
After a 4-point win over the Florida Gators, Georgia visits Mississippi State as a 7.5 favorite. This isn’t any marquee matchup, yet the Bulldogs would be fools to take it lightly. It’s one of those ‘trap’ games that major programs have on their schedules every year. To keep his alma mater prevailing, David Pollack has urged Kirby Smart to come prepared, not just physically but mentally, to avoid being trapped. On the November 5th episode of See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack, the CFB Hall of Famer warned Kirby Smart about the loud atmosphere, where Mississippi fans have a unique tradition of bringing cowbells to the stands as a symbol of luck and loyalty. Although it seems fun, it’ll turn annoying for visiting teams when 60,000 fans ring the bell simultaneously. “This is the trap game, and there’s a reason it’s been talked about. There’s a recipe there that Mississippi State can win. When they’re at home with those cowbells, it’s super annoying, a great home atmosphere,” David Pollack said. “The passing game that matches up well against the weakness of the other team. Now it’s down to how everything else comes into play with their special teams, with their defense, and how they get some things to go their way,” he continued. ADVERTISEMENT Texas almost fell to Mississippi State two weeks ago. They had to mount a 4th quarter comeback to win the game in overtime. At one point, it became so one-sided that the Longhorns fans were calling for Steve Sarkisian’s job. Fortunately, Arch Manning turned it around. Pollack is concerned that the home team has a winning formula against a Georgia defense that has struggled of late. ADVERTISEMENT “There’s one way for Mississippi State to win this game is throwing the football. Georgia, are you good at passing defense? Are you in pass rushing? Here’s the thing: we know Mississippi State is going to throw the football. Bring in the packages, bro,” the analyst sends a subtle message. We saw how Ole Miss dismantled the Georgia secondary for three quarters. Even DJ Lagway found some limited success last Saturday. Pollack continued, “I love this game as a defensive lineman. I am going to get the freaki-g QB. I play the way all down to the QB. They can temper you, obviously; they have the QB that spins confidently. I don’t think Georgia is going to give the ball enough to let them do that.” ADVERTISEMENT Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Comparing both sides, Mississippi State has similar numbers to Georgia. The home team averages 408.2 total yards per game, allowing 368.9 total yards per game. On the other hand, Georgia averages 419.4 yards per game and allows 309.4 yards per game. As Pollack said, the noisy crowd, which reaches up to 120 dB, and the near-equal numbers could be challenging for Georgia, unless they come prepared for everything. Kirby Smart must follow Steve Sarkisian’s mantra for Mississippi State Kirby Smart can borrow a leaf from Steve Sarkisian’s book. Two weeks ago, the Texas head coach sorted out a plan to overcome the distracting ‘cowbell’ noise at Starkville. He piped in cowbells during the team’s practices throughout the week to simulate the environment. This seemingly helped Sarkisian’s side, as they emerged victorious by 45-38. ADVERTISEMENT Kirby Smart can adapt the same, but Mississippi State HC Jeff Lebby is well aware of this. Therefore, he purchased 500 additional tickets to capitalize on home-field advantage. “We need it in a huge way. I mean, we need 60,000 shaking cowbells and to have as rowdy an atmosphere as there is in the country,” he said to the press. Although this is not a game that solely relies on sound, Smart is well aware of the level of toughness it entails. Georgia has a 21-6 record over Mississippi State, and they are on a 5-game winning streak. They were able to defeat them in Starkville in 2022 by 45-19, but this time, Lebby’s team has evolved into a balanced side.
