It was a great trip to Manhattan – not New York, but Middle America – for Mississippi State in Week 2. The Bulldogs checked the boxes they needed to check. They answered questions about their toughness and consistency. They addressed a measure of worries about their defense. They showed balance and a capacity for adjustments. The display was very encouraging.
By Matt Zemek
However, it shouldn’t be taken as a sign that this team has arrived and is ready to rock and roll in the SEC. Why? Consider Vanderbilt. The Commodores smothered Kansas State last season but watched the Wildcats slog through a mediocre regular season. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, struggled and didn’t even make a bowl game. Beating Kansas State 15 years ago – when the Wildcats were a national power – meant a lot more than it does now. Yes, Mississippi State still showed a lot of strength, playing an efficient road game against a Power 5 opponent at an early hour of the day. That is impressive on its own terms. Is it an indicator of the future? That is a murky matter, and MSU can’t afford to believe the hype. It just needs to keep learning. What are the growth points for this team against the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns?
1 – MORE ROTATION
Before the SEC season begins, this game needs to be an occasion for Joe Moorhead to look at a lot of players and not overextend the starters. The grind of the SEC is tough – Moorhead is not an SEC veteran, but he has to know this. He and his staff need to make an attempt to get a lot of players involved not only for the sake of resting certain performers, but to see where reserves can be plugged in to meet specific situational needs at later points in the season. SEC games can’t be “fact-gathering missions,” which is why this game needs to be just such an expedition for Mississippi State.
2 – SUSTAINED STEEL
The Bulldogs must continue to respond well to adversity – bad calls such as the Kansas State game midway through the first half could have flustered a team on the road, but MSU played through the bad calls and kept plugging away. The Bulldogs were rewarded for their tunnel vision, something I’m sure Moorhead and his staff mentioned in the postgame locker room. Continuing to cultivate strong habits and positive internal responses will serve Mississippi State well. Making those little responses each week will lead to a more fortified team when Alabama, Auburn and LSU come across the schedule later on.
3 – DON’T LET NICK GET NICKED UP
The Bulldogs need to keep Nick Fitzgerald clean in a game they should be able to win easily. Turning over the second half to the backups is one part of this formula, but the other part is to make sure no one on the offensive line – or running backs in to offer extra protection – falls asleep. A team needs to display vigilance in every aspect of its performance, but for Mississippi State, it is especially important to prevent Fitzgerald from taking a blindside shot he has no chance to brace for. Paying attention to protections and blitzes must be paramount for the coaches and for MSU’s offensive front.
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