STARKVILLE — It would only be natural.
Mississippi State wasn’t supposed to lose last September’s matchup to Memphis, a strong team but one playing in a weaker conference. But the Bulldogs did, falling 31-29 on the road; now, that same Memphis team comes to Starkville to open up the 2022 season.
Many teams would want some payback. Mississippi State — publicly, at least — doesn’t claim to.
“We’re not looking for revenge,” linebacker Nathaniel Watson said Tuesday. “We’re just going to try to go 1-0. That’s all we’re looking forward to.”
Mississippi State did that last year in Week 1 against Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs followed it up with a big win over NC State.
But they suffered their first setback at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. A bad call on a Memphis punt-return touchdown sticks out, but there were other reasons, too.
“We had the offense on the 15-yard line and didn’t score,” wide receiver Austin Williams recalled. “If we do that, it’s probably a different ballgame.”
Williams stressed the importance of all four phases of the sport. Yes, four — head coach Mike Leach counts the attitude and energy on the Bulldogs’ sideline as its own entity equal to offense, defense and special teams.
If MSU can clean things up by Saturday, it can at least put last year’s loss well in the past.
“You’ve got to push that to the side, move on,” Williams said. “New year, new opportunity. You’ve got a new team.”
It’s a team that is champing at the bit to face anyone but, well, itself.
Asked if the Bulldogs were relishing the opportunity to face another opponent, linebackers coach Matt Brock acceded wholeheartedly.
“If we’re not ready to play by this point as far as that goes, we’re never going to be ready,” he said. “If you’re not ready to tee off on somebody else’s uniform, you’re probably in the wrong sport. I think they’re excited about it.”
Tigers training on cowbells
Cowbells have been a fixture of recent Memphis practices as the Tigers attempt to simulate the artificial noisemakers they’ll hear en masse Saturday inside Davis Wade Stadium.
Good luck with that.
“I can say from experience, those cowbells on the radio or speakers ain’t going to help them at all,” Watson said. “Cowbells in that stadium when they’re echoing, it gives the defense a lot of juice.”
According to Evan Barnes of The Commercial Appeal, Memphis kicker Chris Howard, at least, isn’t fazed.
Howard transferred to the Tigers from Florida, so he’s used to noisy ambiences on the gridiron.
“I love the sound of cowbells,” Howard reportedly said. “They sound nice.”
But the noisemakers — when rung at full volume by a crowd of 60,000-plus — can certainly give the Bulldogs an advantage.
Brock recalled last season’s home wins over NC State and Kentucky, both of which kicked off after 6 p.m.
Saturday’s game has a 6:30 p.m. kickoff, and given its status as the season opener and the undeniable fact of last year’s loss, there’s no reason not to expect a large and, more to the point, loud crowd at Davis Wade.
“You would hope this is going to feel the same way,” Brock said. “I would think it would be a great advantage that we’re going to utilize.”
New Memphis OC presents a challenge
Memphis has new coordinators on both sides of the ball, and offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey could present a new challenge for the Bulldogs on Saturday.
Cramsey led a strong offensive attack last season at Marshall after previous stops at Nevada and Sam Houston State.
“He’s done a great job everywhere he’s been,” Brock said.
Brock said the Bulldogs have watched film of the Thundering Herd as well as last year’s Tigers.
From Memphis game tape, Watson came away impressed.
“From film, they’ve got a lot of speed,” he said. “They’ve got some power. They’re a decent team. We’re looking forward to them.”
Asked about Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan, Watson praised the sophomore’s “big frame.” Henigan was listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds in 2021; he’s up to 210 pounds this season.
“I heard he put a couple of pounds on for the run game, so I’m looking forward to that,” Watson said with a smile.
Cramsey and Memphis do a good job of disguising offensive schemes, something the Bulldogs will have to be aware of.
Brock said MSU’s 3-3-5 scheme should be a good match for what the Tigers bring to the table.
“If we’re doing our job and being lined up right and adjusting alignments accordingly based off those motions, I think we’ll be fine,” he said. “They definitely do a good job of giving you a lot of lasers to chase, so you’ve definitely got to be disciplined.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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