SEC: What direction will Mississippi State go?

After the first game against LSU, Mike Leach was a beloved football genius, and the best thing to come to the SEC since Lane Kiffin. By the end of the season, there were more questions than answers, unfortunately. Oh, and LSU win wasn’t as impressive bearing in mind the Tigers’ defense was utterly dreadful.

Will Mike Leach’s second year turn out to be better than his 3-5 SEC record?

OFFENSE

KJ Costello – who arrived from Stanford for the SEC – ended up getting hurt, and never got his job back from freshman Will Rogers. Maybe that was because he ended up with interceptions (11) than touchdowns (6). Rogers ended up with more touchdowns (11) than interceptions (7). Rogers threw for a not-bad-at-all 1,976 yards, helping the offense to 296.3 yards per game, good for 20th in the country.

The offense itself spluttered, finishing a dreadful 109th in the nation. And if they hadn’t beaten Missouri 51-12 in the final game of the season, it would have finished even worse.

This year Rogers is going to battle it out University of South Alabama transfer Chance Loveritch (Or ‘STD’ to his friends) for the starting position. Both have impressed in scrimmages, apparently.

Predictably, there was no rush game really- and that’s always the case with a Mike Leach offense – but Leach used freshman Jo’quavious Marks’ hands – he finished with 60 receptions, which led the team.

Other receivers will be All-SEC WR Jaden Walley, who had an excellent 718 receiving yards last year, Cal transfer Makai Polk and Washington State transfer and former four-star WR Jamire Calvin, freshman/sophomore Tulu Griffin and Leach could also get the ball from freshmen four-star WRs Theodore Knox and Antonio Harman.

It shouldn’t make a lot of difference that back-ups JaVonta Payton decided to skip town for Tennessee and Cameron Gardner to Montana State. Weirdly, much-talked about WR Tyrell Shavers, a former transfer from Alabama – has now gone to San Diego State.

Rogers will be covered by an offensive line team that’s bringing back three starters. The biggest talent in sophomore OT Charles Cross. 

DEFENSE

Mississippi State has one of the best secondaries in the nations with Martin Emerson and Emmanuel Forbes. The Bulldogs had 11 INTs (22nd in the nation), of which 3 went back to the house (2nd in the nation) last year.  Emerson was excellent, leading the team in tackles (72), as well as 11 passes broken up (2nd in the SEC, 4th in the nation), and 11 passes defended (2nd in the SEC, 5th overall). Forbes was not too shabby either, leading the SEC in interceptions (5), as well as INT return touchdowns (3 (also leading NCAA)) and interception return yards (183 (also leading the NCAA).

Back-up CB Esaisas Furdge isn’t too shabby (14 tackles, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery), and it will be interesting how Texas senior transfer Jalen Green gets on down in Starkville. Green had 14 tackles, one INT and 2 passes defended in his 2020 season in Austin.

Safety Shawn Preston Jr (66 tackles) is also back, although at that position things are admittedly a little thinner.

In other words: Pick your poison at your corners, go for the safeties.

However up front on the defense, things may be a little problematic – especially with depth. One of the teams top tacklers Aaron Brule (74, with 44 assisted tackles (7th in the SEC) is back but the best LB on the team Erron Thompson is now playing for Atlanta, but that’s all there is to be massively excited about.

SCHEDULE 

Louisiana Tech

NC State

at Memphis

LSU

Texas A&M

Alabama

at Vanderbilt

Kentucky

at Arkansas

at Auburn

Tennessee State

Ole Miss

Aside from the Louisiana Tech, Tennessee State and, erm, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State does not have an easy schedule. It’s been ranked 16th in the country by ESPN FPI. 

While going back-to-back games against NC State and a road-trip to Memphis won’t be easy, I’d be surprised if the Bulldogs don’t come out of the gate at 3-0. Then there’s an evil three-part whammy at home to LSU, Texas A&M and Alabama. It’s not hard to envisage Mark Leach’s squad going 0-3 there. Then there’s the wins against Vanderbilt and Kentucky, a loss at Arkansas and Auburn followed up by going 1-1 against Tennessee State and Ole Miss.

PREDICTION: Going 0-4 in the West isn’t going to please the locals, but a bowl game might ease the pain. A very middling-yet-entertaining 6-6.