STARKVILLE — Cory Thomas gave the Mississippi State football coaching staff every reason to believe he was going to be a pivotal part of its defensive line. Four tackles and a forced fumble against Charleston Southern, all in limited action during the blowout, was supposed to be just the beginning.
He hasn’t recorded a tackle since, and won’t as he sits out when No. 24 MSU (3-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference visits No. 13 Auburn (3-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) 5 p.m. Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The void of a missing starting defensive lineman against a team that just ran for five scores the week prior would normally be significant.
Enter Tre Brown.
The Ackerman native has been one of many called upon to hold Thomas’ place in the rotation and he’s done so in an interesting fashion. Brown has played in all four of MSU’s games and tallied 11 tackles, but five of them have stopped a ball carrier at or behind the line of scrimmage. With no sacks to bolster his tackle for a loss number, it suggests that more times than not, Brown enters the game, stuffs a run and promptly exits, his job having been done.
“I think with Cory out, he has taken a bigger role,” MSU defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. “My philosophy on that is injury creates depth. You may be afraid to play a guy because you have an older guy like Cory, but all of a sudden you have to play a guy like Tre and he steps in and does a good job, so now you have more depth than you had before.”
That aforementioned behind-the-line production is almost certain to keep Brown in a significant rotation role even when Thomas returns, which MSU head coach Dan Mullen said won’t be until after the bye week that follows the Auburn game. No one on the team has stuffed more ball carriers for no gain or loss of yardage, even thought eight Bulldogs have more tackles than he does.
Grantham has one takeaway.
“It shows his ability to knock back guys up front. I think it’s important that you’re more of an attacking team than a reacting team, because that allows you to create the TFLs, but also you can still press the blocks and be sound inside and do those things, but if they throw the ball you’re already into rushing the passer, pushing the pocket and all that.”
Brown is best positioned to play both while chasing that tackle for a loss based on his methodology.
“It’s kind of an instinct. If I’m stunting, I get through the gap and see the running back, it’s kind of an instinct,” Brown said. “Some people wait on it to come to you, I go for it to get the tackle for a loss.
“As far as me, I’ve wanted to be a playmaker all my life and I’ve always wanted to make the tackle.”
Doing it the way Brown does it takes a certain knowledge level that likely has its roots in his high school career. Adam Dillinger, who is now an assistant coach and athletic director at Eupora High School, coached Brown at Ackerman High School, now Choctaw County High. Dillinger not only played Brown everywhere he possibly could on the defensive line, but moved him to the other side of the ball at times for stints at offensive line and tight end.
He’s convinced the experience made Brown better, but that’s not the only thing. Dillinger said Brown’s senior class included other defensive linemen that went on to play college football, meaning Brown, “had to work in practice since he was in 7 th grade.”
It’s prepared Brown perfectly for his current situation as a rotation piece in MSU’s defensive line. Even behind Jeffery Simmons and Braxton Hoyett, the numbers prove Brown has been effective.
There’s a part of him that likes it this way — even if coming years throw him into a bigger role.
“I kind of like coming off the bench,” he said. “I can see what the offense is doing out there.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter, @Brett_Hudson
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