The key for Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby was to capitalize on the momentum they started in the second half of the Arizona State game. If that was the plan, it appears that nobody with the Bulldogs got the memo. From the opening kickoff against Toledo to the final whistle, the game was a disaster in Starkville, as the Rockets Embarrassed the Bulldogs 41-17. To add insult to injury, the beat-down was in the Dawgs’ house.
MSU was a 10.5-point favorite going in, which may make the odds-makers rethink their methodology. For Bulldog fans, hope for this season became a lost commodity.
Been Here Before?
It was Deja Vu all over again, as Yogi would say, with echoes of the first half from the week before, The Bulldogs even lost the coin toss, with Toledo’s differing reception of the ball until the second half of State’s first possession foreshadowed what was to come.
Quarterback Blake Shapen started the up-tempo offense to three-and-out after the initial kick-off. State seemed as lost as the did in Tempe last week, and even had a holding call on the first play to make it first and 20, before needing to punt on their first possession. Penalties were a plague throughout the game, with the Dawgs creating 10 infractions for 104 yards. These were self-inflicted wounds that merely show a lack of discipline.
Toledo must have seen the Arizona State game, as they scored on four of their first five possessions, and racked up 300 yards of offense. This was almost identical to what the Sun Devils accomplished in the first half last weekend. Even the Rockets’ halftime score of 28-3, was eerily close to ASU’s lead of 27-3 at the break last week. In two games, State has only scored six points in the first half.
Bulldogs Can’t Run
One amazing statistic from the Toledo game is that Shapen was still able to account for 319 yards of passing going 28 for 39. The passing game was responsible for their two touchdowns in the second half, a nine-yard toss to receiver Mario Craver, and a one-yarder to wideout Kevin Coleman III.
But, the Bulldog play-caller, Lebby, insisted on running the ball, even though 27 attempts repeatedly failed. The Dawgs were only able to muster 68 yards on the ground. In fact, it wasn’t until the second half that they were able to get over 10 yards on the ground. Obviously, the offensive line is failing on many fronts, giving up five sacks, six tackles for loss, and not providing support for the run game. Granted, State was up against seven six-year defensive starters for Toledo. But, they will be facing stronger resistance from Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, and many others in the coming weeks.
In his post-game press conference, Lebby stated the obvious. “It’s all about what we can protect. cleaning up some things from a protection standpoint, being better in our six-man protections, and then finding ways to not take sacks on early downs.”
A Porous Defense
As the season began, the Bulldog defense was not expected to be elite, but Saturday they couldn’t stop anything the Rockets did. There wasn’t a single quarterback hurry, sack, or tackle for a loss. The Toledo punter got a rest, only punting twice.
Alluding to the penalties mentioned earlier, the defense contributed to that effort. Some were irresponsible, self-inflicted wounds, like roughing the passer, committed by veteran De’Monte Russell, or Tyler Woodard, ejected for targeting.
The defense getting Toledo off the field in order for the offense to continue any momentum they might achieve. The Rockets repeatedly converted third downs through a porous secondary. This led to several scores, stifling any momentum the Bulldogs might have mustered
At the end of the day, the Dawg defense gave up 454 total yards, 169 on the ground and 285 in the air.
Lebby understands this to be a major problem. “We have to find ways to get off the field,” Lebby said. “We have three three-and-outs to start the game, and they don’t go three-and-out until the (sixth) drive. That dictates the rest of the game. Us being better situationally, but being able to get off the field on third down will be a huge point of emphasis.” This is far from the toughest offense MSU will face this year.
A Statement By the Rockets
It wasn’t all about how poorly State played the game. Toledo played masterfully, led by their veteran head coach Jason Candle. They had clearly been prepared and had the right mindset to take on an SEC opponent.
But on the field it was all about Tucker Gleason, completing 82% of his passes for three touchdowns, and adding 37 yards on the ground.
On the receiving end, Junior Vandeross III put on quite a show with his quickness and ability to get open. He led his team in receptions with seven for 73 yards and one touchdown. On the ground, it was Willie Shaw III, who had 16 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, Toledo’s Dan Bolden was a linebacker possessed. He had 1.5 of the five sacks, six tackles, and 1.5 for a loss. Although others may have led him in the stats, it was Bolden’s repeated pressure on Shapen that led to State’s inefficiency.
This was only the Rockets’ second win against an SEC opponent in program history. But, it made a statement for their program and for the Group of Five. In another contest, Georgia State made a similar statement for the G5, in their win over a clearly improved Vanderbilt.
Where Do the Bulldogs Go From Here?
A struggling Florida comes to town this weekend, after their huge loss to Texas A&M. This will be State’s first SEC contest of the 2024 season. The Gators are surely battling the same demons as State, trying to keep their heads above water. On the horizon, are five of the AP Top 25 teams.
Lebby was fairly apologetic and pragmatic about it at the same time. “It’s an incredible test because we haven’t played the way we needed to play and didn’t coach them to get to that point,” Lebby said. “It’s incredibly frustrating, but like I just told the guys, we’re going to get it fixed. That’s going to happen. Regardless, we’re going to kick off at 11 a.m. next Saturday morning here at home.”
Mississippi State is now 1-2 in non-conference play. Any hope for a bowl appearance this season is remote at best if one thinks about it in practical terms. But, this is college football, and the Bulldog fans, at least the believers, think anything is possible. Sure, when the cowbells went silent in the second quarter, there were boo-birds, and social media calls for Lebby’s firing. But, on the TV broadcast, there was also the shot of an elderly gentleman, dressed in all maroon, still ringing his cowbell in the fourth quarter. He was standing next to a younger couple doing the same.
