Mississippi State has won just once, and its five losses include Division I-AA Maine and SEC cellar-dweller Vanderbilt. But the Bulldogs are coming off an open week and first-year coach Sylvester Croom said they went back to the basics: working on fundamentals and shoring up their scoring defense, which ranks next to last in the SEC (28 points per game). Croom has made several changes to his lineup. Quinton Culberson has moved from free safety to weakside linebacker. Gabe ONeal and Titus Brown will get more time at strongside and middle linebacker, respectively. Croom said hes hoping those three will give Mississippi State more speed and better tackling. The Bulldogs have had a slew of key injuries, but several of those players are expected to return Saturday. Quarterback Omarr Conner, who started four games then strained his medial collateral ligament and has missed the past two, practiced on a limited basis and will start if hes healthy enough. Receiver McKinley Scott will play but is nursing a hamstring injury. Croom said with Scott and Will Prosser and the improvement of Tee Milons, the Bulldogs have something of a receiving corps for the first time this season. Tight end Eric Butler has a high-ankle sprain and tendinitis in his knee and is questionable. Florida will look to establish some consistency with its offense, which struggled against LSU but bounced back to produce more than 500 yards last week. Croom said one of his biggest concerns is Floridas speed: Theyve got great speed and athleticism on their defense.
