Mississippi State is 1-0 after a solid win down south in Hattiesburg on Saturday. There is plenty to work on for the Bulldogs going forward into a stretch of four home games, but it was a game to build on with several positive performances.
Here’s a look at a few of the standout individuals from MSU’s Saturday display.
Kelley Jones
CB1 on the depth chart made his presence known early on for MSU on Saturday. He recorded two pass breakups, both denying touchdowns for the Golden Eagles, and added a pair of tackles to his stat line as well.
Jones’ length and speed make him an ideal one-on-one defender, and standing at 6-4 doesn’t hurt either, but he really showed his smarts in isolation. He and DeAgo Brumfield got some of the highlight plays from a good all-around display in the secondary. An interception by Brylan Lanier and the blooding in of safeties Jahron Manning and Tyler Woodard were all positives as well for the secondary.
For Jones in particular, it’s the type of jump fans will want to see. He steadily gained more of a role last year, but has already doubled his pass breakup numbers from his redshirt freshman season. His coaches, and his teammates who went up agaisnt him all offseason, have talked him up, and now fans can see why.
Will Whitson
Speaking of the defense…
MSU’s defensive line wasn’t always getting the penetration they had hoped for against Southern Miss, but they were getting into the backfield and disrupting play. The Bulldogs recorded just one sack on the day, and that belonged to Graduate transfer Will Whitson.
The veteran arrived after two years at Coastal Carolina and made the preseason Senior Bowl watchlist. He showed fans why on Saturday, recording four total tackles, including the sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. His disruption on the edge helped the defense gain some control in the second half, halting the Golden Eagles on five consecutive drives in the second half.
The pass rush has a lot of room to grow, but there was a positive start from a new arrival to give the unit something to build on.
Kyle Ferrie
The Bulldogs knew they had a reliable kicker going into the season, but the potential to expand scoring opportunities was realized early on in the game.
Ferrie drilled a record-setting 55-yard field goal for the Bulldogs in the first half, the longest in program history, and it likely would have been good from a few more yards out. It was the first of two field goals on the day for the Bulldogs’ specialist, who also drilled all four extra points without issue. It surpassed a 40-year old record set by kicker Artie Cosby in 1985.
Ferrie, a junior, has been consistent for MSU in his previous two years. His previous long was 49-yards, which he made as a freshman in 2023, so the ability to strike from distance has been there from the start. Adding extra range with accuracy can only be a good thing for the Bulldogs.
Brenen Thompson
It was a career day for the new WR1 in maroon and white.
Thompson set a new personal best for receptions with seven and yards with 92. He would have had a few more yards and a score to his name if not for a holding call on a 55-yard house call, but he still got his team set up in the red zone.
Thompson, like many of MSU’s receivers, didn’t have the benefit of past statistics to support his claim to an important role in the offense, but the potential has always been there. He was sharp with his route-running, his timing with quarterback Blake Shapen was on point, and most importantly he showed that he has hands as well as speed.
It seems like it may not be long before Thompson sets a new personal best for receiving yards in a season, which he will then set again and again over the rest of the season.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
