“It’s incredibly frustrating, but we’re going to get it fixed. What we have is today and the opportunity to fix it tomorrow, and go have a great week before we get SEC play started next Saturday.” That was Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby in his Monday (9/16) press conference, following the devastating loss to Toledo 41-7. It’s certainly not where the new head coach wanted to be, losing two of his first three games, especially non-conference. Yet, here they are, 1-2, meeting Florida, the start of a five-week SEC cheese grater. Mississippi State fans anticipated the Gators and Bulldogs as the beginning of SEC play, but now they possibly dread it. It’s understandable considering the disastrous loss to a MAC opponent.
In their first two games, State has been outscored 55-6. That speaks volumes about both sides of the ball. Although it’s a tall order, Lebby sounds determined to repair the damage. “We’re going to fight like heck to fix every bit of it. I think our guys are going to get back in the building and get ready to work,” Lebby said.
In the Same Boat
Florida also comes to Starkville with a 1-2 record so both teams are dwelling in the conference’s cellar. But, Florida has the distinction of losing its opener to then-ranked No. 11 Miami 41-17. That score sounds eerily familiar. After trouncing Samford 45-7, they lost last week to Texas A&M 33-20.
Regardless of the past, this game between the two means a lot to both programs. It could springboard the winner and build confidence going forward, sending the loser into a downward spiral, from which it would be hard to recover.
The Gators are a five-and-a-half-point favorite going into the matchup, but both teams have foiled odds-makers so far. Remember, State was a 10.5-point favorite over Toledo last week.
This will be the 56th meeting of the two, Florida leading the series 34-19-2. However, in Starkville, the Gator’s record is 5-7.
Who are the Gators?
Florida is on the road for the first time this season, and the Gators haven’t experienced the cowbells since 2018. This year, head coach Billy Napier is working with a two-quarterback offense, a tactic that’s not always successful. Something else that might bode well for the Bulldogs is that the Gators are 2-10 on the road since Napier’s been there. He has been at the helm since 2021 and is on the hot seat after their start and other issues from last season.
The quarterbacks Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway fill the tandem rolls behind center with Mertz starting, at least against Texas A&M. As a true freshman, Lagway impressed the fans by throwing for 486 yards against Stamford and has a total of 551 yards on the season. Mertz missed that game due to a concussion and has thrown for 286 yards so far.
Florida looked like State against the Aggies, with the passing game taking precedence over the run. The Gators had 249 yards in the air and only 52 running. Major receivers were Elijhah Badger and Eugene Wilson III who combined for 451 yards. Defensively, the Gators are allowing 27 points per game and 407.3 yards.
As far as defending a two-quarterback offense, it’s almost like two different defensive plans. “You get caught up on ways to make sure you know both of them,” Lebby said Monday. “So, when you’re getting two different guys, you’re getting two different presentations. You’re getting two different guys that may have different strengths from the others. So having to prepare for both of them, there’s some challenge in that. We’ve got to do a great job making it really hard on them, not creating layups for them and us making the layups. That will be a huge part of it.”
What’s Up With the Dawgs?
As far as the Bulldogs are concerned, Lebby is staying rather tight-lipped about cornerback Kelley Jones, defensive lineman Kalvin Dinkins, or prior injury to veteran cornerback Corey Ellington. With the defense performing as they did against Toledo, those players would be a boost to have back in the lineup. Since this is the first SEC game for State, the new availability reports will be submitted and released daily right up to 90 minutes before the game.
The coaching staff was paying a lot of attention to player attitudes in their Sunday routines, but Lebby thinks they have their heads on straight. “I do believe our guys have excitement about what’s to come, there’s an incredible opportunity to play at 11:00 against Florida.”
It’s well known that Florida isn’t doing well either. But, the coaching staff is paying a lot of attention to make sure that doesn’t seep into the locker room. Lebby says, at least early in the week, the focus is “100% on us.” The important things are execution issues that need to be fixed.
Despite the poor play of the Dawg-secondary, safety Isaac Smith is second in the conference in tackles with 17. One takes their victories where they can. However, on the other side of the coin, if a safety is getting double-digit tackles, it surely signals issues with the defensive line. That was evident against Toledo.
A Turning Point
The Bulldogs take on their first SEC matchup that may well chart the course for the remainder of the season. They need to show something significant as they did against Eastern Kentucky. After Florida, it’s Showtime.
Up next, it’s out to Austin, to face No. 1 Texas, then a week off, after which it’s off to Athens and No. 2 Georgia. Who created this schedule anyway? Following Georgia, the Dawgs welcome the Aggies from A&M, then host the Hogs of Arkansas. That’s a schedule the worst enemy should have.
Still, Lebby has a group of young men to coach and a program to build. “We’re going to continue to create a culture here of connection, of belief, of understanding that doing it for the guy next to you matters,” Lebby said. “Our guys, right now, are all in right now. We’ve got to continue to create that and go play better.”
