Kamario Taylor is absolutely lighting it up for Mississippi State, and his Heisman campaign is officially fueling the Bulldogs’ undefeated start. After falling behind by a massive 16 points in the second quarter last week against South Carolina, Taylor led his team to an insane 41-7 scoring run into the early fourth quarter to snatch the win. That’s the kind of grit and firepower that makes you sit up and pay attention in Week 4, especially when you consider it’s one of five “sleeper” games flying under the radar while Arch Manning’s No. 1 Texas takes on No. 14 Tennessee, and No. 20 Oregon clashes with No. 12 USC in a Big Ten monster. But trust me, you don’t want to sleep on this Bulldogs’ quarterback or these matchups.
Mississippi State vs. Missouri: The Undefeated Gauntlet
Mississippi State’s win over South Carolina launched them into the top 25 for the first time this season, now sitting pretty at 3-0. And Kamario Taylor is the real deal, no doubt about it. On the other side, Missouri has been scoring points for fun, outscoring opponents 119-52 so far, averaging nearly 40 points a game while only giving up 17.3. They hit a snag early against Troy last weekend, falling behind 10-0, but a monster 24-point second quarter propelled them to a 27-17 victory. Their quarterback, Austin Simmons, might have only thrown for 91 yards and a touchdown in that game, but he’s still third in the SEC with eight passing touchdowns, proving he can win it through the air. Both of these teams are 3-0 and climbed steadily from Missouri’s preseason No. 25 ranking. Now, if either of them wants to stay undefeated and keep climbing those SEC standings, they’re staring down a brutal schedule. The Bulldogs have four of their next five opponents ranked, and it’s the same deal for the Tigers, who face four consecutive ranked teams, starting right here with Mississippi State. Talk about a test!
UCLA’s Rushing Attack Is For Real
Don’t look now, but UCLA is also 3-0 for the first time since 2023, already sitting at 1-0 in conference play, and they’re bringing a serious ground game to Week 4. The Bruins boast the fifth-best rushing attack in the entire country, and running back Wayne Knight is an absolute beast leading the charge. He’s piled up 345 yards, ranking eighth nationally, and has punched in eight touchdowns, which is tied for first in the country. Against Purdue, Knight tore it up for 177 yards and two scores, the second-most rushing yards of his career. On the flip side, Maryland’s quarterback Malik Washington threw for 359 yards last week against Virginia Tech, the second-most in his career, but it wasn’t enough to save the Terrapins from a loss. They’re now 2-1 and looking to avoid a 2-2 start as they dive into conference play.
These early season matchups are setting the tone, folks! Mississippi State and Missouri are about to kick off a brutal stretch of ranked opponents that will tell us everything about their undefeated starts. Meanwhile, can UCLA’s ground game keep them perfect and on everyone’s radar? Week 4 is going to be wild, and we’ll be watching every single snap.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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