STARKVILLE — Mississippi State’s return to the precipice of a 400-yard game was met with much acclaim with more than just the win that came with it. It was MSU (5-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) running for 4.6 yards per carry while throwing for 241 yards, the first time going for more than 200 since Week 3.
Even if a few weeks later than desired, this was the representation of what head coach Joe Moorhead wanted: immediate success while laying the foundation for more of the same long term.
Moorhead delivered that message in the midst of MSU’s midseason struggles, to some criticism, but the win over Texas A&M showed what Moorhead had in mind. In establishing that vision, Moorhead had to start by doing it himself.
Moorhead said he evaluated his own playcalling before the Texas A&M game and saw playcalling that didn’t look like his. In advising quarterback Nick Fitzgerald to avoid overthinking and play the game more instinctually, he made himself do the same.
“I talked to the team the night before the game and told them I was trying to gameplan and call the perfect play every single time, and that’s just not realistic,” Moorhead said. “When you’re trying to make everything perfect every single time, the results weren’t in our favor. I went back to gameplanning it, calling it aggressively and doing what we do well. Dictating the tempo of the game rather than reacting to the tempo of the game, I think that’s something that may have been missing in the middle part of the season that won’t be missing going forward.
“I think it goes back to the balance aspect of wanting to run it and pass it with equal effectiveness and if one gets shut down, being able to lean to the other. I said the passing game was the issue, but for whatever reason, I feel going into that game, I said, ‘I have to remember what got us here,’ and that’s what we’re going to do going forward.”
The foundation of this turnaround was laid in those moments when others were questioning Moorhead.
Moorhead did not mince words about the offensive performances at the time and even called the criticism, “warranted.” When the on-field results weren’t what he was hoping for, he took pride in what happened behind the scenes, knowing what was going on there would ultimately breed the desired result.
“I like the way our culture’s heading and the way the kids are understanding the things we teach on a daily basis to sustain a successful program: discipline, attention to detail, selflessness,” Moorhead said after the loss to Florida. “I’m confident in the direction of the program and I’m confident in our staff and players.
“Like I said, we’re not looking for a one-year build here. We’re looking to put together a long-term, sustainable program where we’re consistent in our behavior and that will in term lead to consistency in our production where it’s not eight wins, six wins, seven wins. We want to make sure that as we build this, we’re building it at the highest level.”
The players received that message just as intended. As freshman safety Marcus Murphy put it, all the team did at that time was, “practice what we preach.
“Everybody had bought in,” Murphy said. “We have great leadership in (defensive tackle) Jeffery (Simmons), (defensive end) Gerri Green, (defensive end) Montez Sweat, (quarterback Nick) Fitz(gerald), (running back) Aeris Williams. Everybody bought into the program because everybody competes to the standard of Mississippi State. We have our own standard.”
Through enforcing that standard through hard times — and Moorhead going out of his way to enforce it himself — MSU is exacting that exact vision. The way MSU beat Texas A&M — stout defense supported by a trademark Moorhead offense — is the template Moorhead plans on following from here on out.
“While short term success is imminent, is going to happen and we want it to happen immediately,” Moorhead said, “myself, my staff and this team, we’re building a program here, we’re not just building a team. We want to make sure we have long-term sustained success in addition to what we’re going to accomplish this year.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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