STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State moved to 4-0 for the first time since 2014 with a 38-10 win over Northern Illinois on Saturday.

The Bulldogs navigated sloppy play for most of the game but pulled away late for the win. Mississippi State trailed 3-0 after the first possession and led just 14-10 going into halftime before outscoring the Huskies 17-0 in the second half.

The ground game is what got the Bulldogs there as they averaged nearly 6 yards per carry — 49 attempts for 292 yards — against a defense that has been stingy against the run. NIU (1-2) came into the game surrendering just 74 rushing yards per game, including holding Maryland under 100 a week ago.

Leading the charge on the ground for Mississippi State was South Alabama transfer Fluff Bothwell, who rushed 17 times for 10

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