FOOTBALL By the Numbers: Team Grades According to PFF (Tech vs MSU)

[BCarlisle37]

Here is how Louisiana Tech and Mississippi State matchup according to Pro Football Focus. The number in parenthesis is the conference ranking for each.

Overall:

• La Tech: 83.2 (7th)
  
  
• MSU: 87.1 (9th)
  

Offense:

• La Tech: 70.9 (8th)
  
  
• MSU: 70.2 (13th)
  

Pass Game:

• La Tech: 68.7 (8th)
  
  
• MSU: 46.1 (14th)
  

Pass Blocking:

• La Tech: 73.6 (10th)
  
  
• MSU: 71.7 (10th)
  

Receiving:

• La Tech: 65 (11th)
  
  
• MSU: 58.4 (14th)
  

Run Game:

• La Tech: 69 (7th)
  
  
• MSU: 87.6 (1st)
  

Run Blocking:

• La Tech: 65.7 (2nd)
  
  
• MSU: 70.1 (4th)
  

Defense:

• La Tech: 90.2 (7th)
  
  
• MSU: 92.3 (7th)
  

Run Defense:

• La Tech: 84.9 (7th)
  
  
• MSU: 93.9 (4th)
  

Tackling:

• La Tech: 72.9 (10th)
  
  
• MSU: 91.1 (3rd)
  

Pass Rush:

• La Tech: 66.2 (10th)
  
  
• MSU: 70.8 (4th)
  

Pass Coverage:

• La Tech: 90.9 (2nd)
  
  
• MSU: 89 (7th)
  

Special Teams:

• La Tech: 75.9 (5th)
  
  
• MSU: 71.2 (10th)
  

These numbers pretty much support what we have been saying all week. If Tech can force Fitzgerald to throw, they will be fine defensively. Mississippi State WRs aren’t great, and their offensive tackles really struggle. Fitzgerald scares me in the zone read game, he is not going to scramble for a bunch of yards. That’s not his game.

On the other side, if Tech can limit the impact of Simmons, Sweat, and Thompson, they will be fine. Now, that is much easier said than done, but if Tech is going to have success on offense that is what it’s going to take.