Flashback
It’s been a week of reflection in some respects among Mississippi State fans. The Arizona game is still fresh in their minds. That may cause some apprehension about the Bulldogs and Bengals, a jungle fight in Starkville kicking off this Saturday. But one thing in which those fans can have some faith is the tenacity and heart the Dawgs showed in order to win that game. But there’s a little more on which to reflect.
Following our review of the game, some things came to light that might just make a State fan feel more at ease.
There’s no question Jett Johnson had an amazing game against the Wildcats. He was recognized for that effort by being named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Johnson shares that honor with Auburn’s linebacker Eugene Asante. He had an equally impressive game at Cal. Both teams are responsible for the only losses by Pac-12 teams so far.
The accolades don’t stop there. Shawn Preston Jr. tied as the co-number one safety according to his PFF score of 90.2. He shared that honor with Washington State’s Jaden Hicks. As a refresher, PFF (Pro Football Focus) is an analytical company that analyses the NFL and NCAA Division-1 football.
For the Dawgs, the PFF honors don’t stop there. Woody Marks was the highest graded running back for the week with a score of 88.9. Tulu Griffin was the fifth highest ranked wide receiver in the country with a score of 84.0. Regardless of the inconsistent play, clearly these Bulldogs shined.
As an aside, in the review of last week’s game, Preston was called out for a forced fumble. But he was not mentioned for his momentum-changing first quarter interception. Apologies to him for the oversight.
LSU – A Retrospective
Mississippi State starts their SEC journey this Saturday. They have been playing LSU consecutively for 79 years. That all comes to a halt after this week’s game. Saturday will be the 80th meeting.
The SEC reshuffled the deck with the 2024 schedule because of the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the conference. As a result, State will not be playing LSU, Auburn or Alabama next year. The Tide and Tigers have played the Bulldogs consecutively for 74 and 68 years respectively. Some see it as abandoning tradition.
In last year’s contest, State was running the Air Raid offense in Death Valley. They got out to a 13-point lead in the second quarter, but let that slip away in the second half. It slipped, due in large part, to the play of LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. Then Bulldogs’ head coach Mike Leach had this to say about the loss. “It is unfortunate because we are explosive; we are just inconsistent.” Does that sound familiar?
But it’s a new head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and a totally different offense. For practical purposes, it’s a clean slate and the outcome is anyone’s guess.
This only serves as subtext in what should be a great football game, regardless of the Bengal Tigers being a 9.5-point favorite.
Tales of Future Past
Reflecting on this season’s two games, LSU seems to be a tale of two different teams. Sure, in their first game, they were over-matched against the then number eight Florida State Seminoles. The Tigers were ranked at number five, by the way. This did not stand for long.
Tigers head coach Brian Kelly said, “We’ll beat the heck out of them.”
FSU basically dismantled and humiliated the Tigers, 45-24.
In their second game, a meeting of two Tiger teams, LSU did some dismantling of their own. They took on in-state opponent Grambling State, in Death Valley. The Bengals prevailed over the other Tigers 72-10. It seemed they took out their frustration from the first game on Grambling.
However, holes in the Bayou Bengals’ defense started to show. The visiting Tigers made significant offensive gains in the first quarter and regularly converted third and long situations.
If there is a vulnerability to LSU it’s in the defense. The much-ballyhooed linebacker Harold Perkins had only one tackle for the night. One has to wonder if the defensive play-calling leaves something to be desired. Bulldog’s offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay has surely seen this and modified his game plan. Considering Barbay took total responsibility for some questionable play-calling in the Arizona game, this week may look different and more balanced.
Bengal Tigers to Watch
Daniels is a formidable quarterback, able to be a threat passing and with his legs. MSU had trouble with Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura and his running ability. Despite the overwhelming loss to Florida State, Daniels still went 22-37 and 346 yards passing. He also rushed 15 times for 64 yards. Against Grambling, he only threw for 269 yards and ran for only 29. That brings us to other players the defense needs to contain.
As can be seen in the stats, LSU relied more on their stable of running backs against Grambling.
Logan Diggs is their main running back with 15 carries and 115 yards. In the air, the Tigers have Malik Nabers. He has 11 receptions for 154 yards and Kyren Lacy who has six catches for 99 yards.
On defense, linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. has not lived up to his preseason hype at linebacker. But, don’t be fooled. He just might be a sleeping giant ready to wake up once he gets to Davis-Wade Stadium. For this season he has six tackles, three solo.
However, Omar Speights has almost taken Perkins’s place in terms of performance. He was one to watch in preseason and has performed well. Speights has nine tackles so far this season.
The Bulldog Advantage
Head Coach Zach Arnett is just getting his sea legs in terms of being a head coach in the SEC. He admittedly didn’t have a good game plan against Arizona last week. However, all indications are he is a quick study and should be prepared along with Barbay and defensive coordinator Matt Brock.
But, as Arnett is quick to admit, it’s the players who run the plays and execute the schemes. Quarterback Will Rogers should continue to be the catalyst on offense as well as the inspirational leader. There is no doubt, he inspired their win over the Wildcats last week.
Offensive weapons will still be running back Marks. He is a dual threat running and receiving. Expect Griffin to equal or better his performance from last week as well.
On defense, the Bash Brothers are doing much better than the LSU linebackers. Johnson has 17 tackles and Bookie Watson has 18. Between the two of them, they also have three interceptions. They might be enough to give LSU’s Daniels fits, as long as Brock’s game plan and play-calling is in tune. Completing the triumvirate is Preston at safety. He’s making more impact as the season goes.
Down at the Junction
There’s lots of hoopla in Starkville this week. SEC Networks’ SEC Nation has chosen Starkville for its Saturday morning show. In fact, one of their co-hosts, Ryan McGee, of Marty and McGee, said on Dawg Daily with Neil Price. “I just love the energy. I mean, it is easily among our favorites, if not our favorite place to do the show. The energy level is just off the chart,” McGee said. “Man, I just love being there, so I’m excited to get down there.”
But there is a game to play and probably the most important one to this point to make a statement going forward. Plus, it’s all about momentum for the remainder of the SEC gauntlet. This game is important on so many levels. The game is on ESPN at 12ET, 11CT.
All the TV shows, press conferences, tailgating at the Junction, and Thursday Night Yell are the exciting parts for the fans. That is the noise Arnett has alluded to before. His message to the team is another Leachism (sic). “Block out the noise, run the next play.”
Photo courtesy: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
