STARKVILLE — This has been a challenging season for Peter Sirmon and the Mississippi State football team’s defense.
Sirmon took over as defensive coordinator for Manny Diaz in the spring. He arrived in Starkville as part of a new staff with defensive line coach Brian Baker, cornerbacks coach Terrell Buckley, and safeties coach Maurice Linguist.
The defensive coaches used spring practices to get used to each other, but they and their players still have had their share of ups and downs this season. Ranked 10th in the Southeastern Conference in total defense and allowing 434.6 yards per game, very few things have come easily on defense for the Bulldogs.
“I think anytime you get a group of men together it’s a challenge,” Sirmon said. “It’s a challenge, not in a negative way, but just how fast you can assimilate. It’s not only the four of us getting together, it’s the four of us joining coach Mullen in the way that things are done. There’s that learning process. I know just me individually, it’s taken me four or five weeks to understand what the practice schedule’s going to look like and what Friday’s walkthrough’s going to look like.”
Sirmon and MSU (4-6, 2-4 SEC) will try to rebound from a loss to No. 1 Alabama last week when it plays host to Arkansas (6-4, 2-4) at 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPNU) at Davis Wade Stadium. MSU will recognize 19 seniors prior to the game.
Sirmon, who also coaches the linebackers, spent the last two seasons as an associate head coach, linebackers coach, and recruiting coordinator at Southern California. He spent two seasons (2012-13) at his alma mater Washington as the linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator. After serving as a graduate assistant at Tennessee in 2010, he was promoted to linebackers coach in 2011. Sirmon was a linebacker at Oregon from 1996-99 and played seven seasons for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans (2000-06).
Sirmon replaced Diaz, who took the same job at Miami. Diaz, who served as the MSU defensive coordinator in 2010, served one season in his second stint after replacing Geoff Collins, who spent four seasons as the MSU defensive coordinator (2011-14). Collins left for Florida in 2015.
MSU senior linebacker Richie Brown, who has a team-high 82 tackles, said the defense has jelled mainly because of Sirmon.
“We all love coach Sirmon,” Brown said. “He’s an ex-player, so he’s been in our shoes, so we have a lot of respect for him as another player. He’s also our coach, and he’s a really good coach. He’s done a really good job. He’s one of my favorite defensive coordinators/linebackers coach I’ve ever had. I’ve been blessed with three really good ones. The season’s gone really well, despite what our record might say. As far as us growing closer as a defensive unit, he’s done a really good job.”
MSU is sixth in the SEC in rush defense (157.3 yards), last in pass defense (277.3 yards), and 13th in scoring defense (31.9 points).
Under Diaz, MSU allowed 391.2 yards (174.6 yards rushing, 216.5 yards passing) last season. In Collins’ last season, MSU allowed 424.4 yards (151.5 yards rushing, 272.8 yards passing).
Injuries have affected the defense. Senior cornerbacks Tolando Cleveland (torn anterior cruciate ligament in left knee) and Cedric Jiles (broken right arm) were injured before the season. Cleveland is out for the year, while Jiles missed the first four games before returning against Auburn on Oct. 8. Senior defensive lineman Will Coleman (lower back) missed the first five games before returning against BYU on Oct. 14. Senior safety Kivon Coman (ankle) missed three games, senior defensive end A.J. Jefferson (elbow surgery) missed one game, and sophomore cornerback Jamal Peters (ankle) missed one game.
“What’s tough, at times it’s really good and at other times I see guys not making plays,” Mullen said. “Whether it be injuries or depth or other situations, we’ve had to make a lot of adjustments. I think they’ve done a pretty good job. The thing they’ve done best is the flexibility.”
Coman, who has 32 tackles and two interceptions, spent the last three seasons under safeties coach Tony Hughes. Mullen hired Hughes when he took over the MSU program in 2009. Hughes left in the offseason to become head coach at Jackson State.
Coman said Collins and Diaz were similar and said Sirmon has brought his own twist. He likes the challenge of learning a new system and learning from Sirmon. Coman said the transition has brought the players closer.
“It’s been hard, but you really play for your brothers,” Coman said. “Your teammates and your brothers, those guys mean the most to you, not who’s coaching you. The guys who you are with every day through the offseason, guys who you’re with when no one else is watching, those are the guys you really want to play for.”
Sirmon said his defense isn’t a “well-oiled machine,” but he said the comfortability has risen with the coaches and the players. He said that has been evident on game days.
“I think everyone kind of understands their role and what they’re looking at,” Sirmon said. “We’re very defined on the information that everyone is responsible for and how we disseminate that, so that’s been pretty seamless. To me, no matter where you go, there’s a chain of command of how that information gets communicated. That’s probably a little cleaner.”
As a first-year defensive coordinator, Sirmon said it has been a challenge leading a defense. He said the transition has taken time.
“It takes time to understand how we’re going to do the breakdown, what we’re going to call plays, what we’re going to call formations, how we’re going to do the scouting report. All of those things take time,” Sirmon said.
n MSU senior wide receiver Fred Ross was named a finalist for the 2016 C Spire Conerly Trophy, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
The award, which goes annually to the most outstanding college football player in the state of Mississippi, will be presented Nov. 29 in Clarksdale, hometown of the trophy’s namesake, Charlie Conerly.
Each of the 10 football-playing four-year schools in Mississippi nominate a player for the award. Ross was one of four to be nominated.
Mississippi Valley State nominated quarterback Austin Bray, Jackson State nominated defensive end Javancy Jones, a former standout at Noxubee County High School in Macon, and Mississippi College nominated wide receiver and kick returner Marcel Newson.
Coaches have until Monday to name their finalists.
Ross has 57 catches for 664 yards and nine touchdowns.
Former MSU quarterback and current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott won the award the last two seasons.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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