STARKVILLE — Malcolm Johnson thinks highly of Marcus Green.
Johnson, a redshirt freshman tight end on the Mississippi State football team, has so many good things to say about Green, his senior teammate at the position, it’s easy to think he could be his coach.
“I knew I had to be patient, and I’ve learned everything I know by just watching Green,” Johnson said. “He’s just such a great leader because he will give me two or three things to keep me motivated and working on my game. Suddenly I’m using those skills in a game.”
Johnson rooms with Green on road trips, and the two have stayed up talking about situations that will come up in the past two road wins against the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Kentucky.
Scott Sallach is the coach responsible for a position group that has 10 catches, 202 yards, and two touchdowns in its past two games.
“There’s a lot to be said for following an older guy at the position that is battle tested through pats on the backs and kicks in the backs,” Sallach said. “Malcolm is showing some intelligence by saying, ‘Hey, wait a minute. This guy is a three-year starter and I can learn from him.’ ”
MSU offensive coordinator Les Koenning said two of the biggest pass plays Saturday in a 28-16 victory at Kentucky were the same call to
two tight ends. Quarterback Tyler Russell looked off roaming middle linebacker Danny Trevathan and completed a 50-yard pass down the middle of the field. One play later, Relf scored on a 12-yard run to give MSU a 21-6 lead in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, Russell showed his skills in the red zone (inside the 20-yard line) by hitting Johnson for a 13-yard touchdown in between two defenders.
“We knew with the way their linebackers were playing there would be an area Russell could put the ball,” Johnson said. “We must have worked on that set and play a hundred times in practice.”
In five of the past six games, Green has had multiple catches and more than 11 yards per reception in each game.
“The tight end job is to just get open and allow the quarterback to make his progressions without worrying if you can get separation,” Green said. “When your opportunity happens you need to make the play, so in a sense getting open every play is the first step.”
Eight receivers had a catch against Kentucky, and no player had more than three catches.
“I think it was a matter of them taking what the defense was giving them,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said. “I thought (the quarterbacks) didn’t try to force the ball much and there was some distribution of the ball.”
Johnson, who was suspended for the season opener at the University of Memphis, has been plagued by injuries this season that stunted his transition from wide receiver to tight end.
“When Marcus comes out of game now we don’t have to get in a new position grouping because when Malcolm wasn’t healthy you noticed we would have to go to four wide sets or running a fullback in there,”
Koenning said.
Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound athletic receiver, had a career-high three catches for 42 yards and a touchdown against Kentucky.
“Each player will immediately excel at something different, but it doesn’t mean you can’t get them to another level at what they’re weak at,” Sallach said. “Different isn’t bad. I’m sure everybody wants to talk to Les about the quarterbacks because they are different, but it works.”
Green, who Koenning said Monday will make an excellent coach when he is finished playing, will sit in the quarterback meeting and answer questions about where the pass should go.
“Marcus will get in there early so he knows the answers to the questions before the quarterbacks do,” Koenning said. “What’s exciting about that is seeing a guy care about his craft so much.”
Green suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament last season against Auburn University in the third week of the season. In addition to averaging 18.4 yards per catch, he has provided a physical blocking presence in the power running game.
“He is hungry for knowledge in anything, and if he hears more information on his game, that will be beneficial to him in something you just assume is all strength but it’s not,” Sallach said. “He wants to understand all about positioning and how that can be translated to the field.”
With his head-over-heels catch against Kentucky, Green reminded Sallach there are things he isn’t able to teach him.
“I had the equipment guys bring the mats back inside so we don’t have to work on the cartwheel catch or anything like that,” Sallach joked. “We have preached to our tight ends that when the ball is in the air it belongs to you and don’t let somebody take something this is yours. Marcus knows his flip will get no style points but major production points.”
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