Bulldogs Look To Rebound Against Houston In Homecoming Game

• 2009 Mississippi State Football Gameday Central

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State (2-3, 1-2 SEC) will look to even its record Saturday as they host the University of Houston for Homecoming. Kick time is set for 11:30 a.m. CT and will be broadcast nationally by ESPNU.

The Bulldogs have dropped their last two outings to 7th-ranked LSU and 25th-ranked Georgia Tech by a combined 15 points. State is averaging 28.2 points a game and currently ranks 22nd-nationally and fourth in the Southeastern Conference in rushing, averaging 205.0 yards a game on the ground.

Leading the ground attack for the Bulldogs is senior back Anthony Dixon. The Terry, Miss., native has 427 yards in four games this season which ranks 15th-nationally and third in the SEC. Dixon is State's all-time career leader in rushing attempts, rushing touchdowns, points scored, and ranks second in rushing yards and fifth in all-purpose yardage.

Defensively, Mississippi State is paced by linebackers K.J. Wright and Jamar Chaney. Wright has 38 tackles this season while Chaney has totaled 34. Junior defensive end Pernell McPhee ranks seventh in the SEC in tackles for loss with five this season.

Houston enters Saturday's contest with a 3-1 overall record this season. Ranked as high as 12th in the Associated Press poll this season, the Cougars are looking to bounce back after a setback to UTEP last weekend. UH is led by standout quarterback Case Keenum who is averaging 424.0 passing yards a game, a mark that leads the nation. Keenum has thrown for 1,696 yards and 13 touchdowns this season while only throwing two interceptions. Junior receiver James Cleveland has 30 receptions for 312 yards and three touchdowns this season. Head coach Kevin Sumlin is 11-6 in his second season with the Cougars.

Mississippi State and Houston have met 14 previous times dating back to 1956. Houston holds an 8-6 advantage and also a 4-3 lead in Starkville. The last meeting between the two came in 2005 when Houston defeated Mississippi State 28-16 in Starkville.

MstateAthletics.com will again have extensive coverage of the game on Saturday including an in-game blog, Facebook updates and Twitter updates on @mstategameday.