STARKVILLE — Twenty-two missed assignments, 18 missed tackles and 17 second-half points.
These are the unfavorable numbers the Mississippi State University defense have been going over and over this week.
The main reason for the instant diagnosis of the defensive execution is the opponent Saturday, the University of South Alabama, will be running an incredibly spread-option system based on speed and limiting defensive substitutions.
“I think the tempo got to some guys at times,” Mullen said. “The guys weren’t lined up in place and we weren’t ready to go.”
MSU (3-0, 1-0 in Southeastern Conference) allowed three-and-outs on the first drive of each half but allowed the Troy University to earn a first down in each of the other of other 11 drives of the 30-24 Bulldogs victory Saturday.
“The big part were the missed tackles that allowed them to keep drives going. The tempo never became the factor until they were driving the ball down the field. Then the tempo would become the factor.”
The Trojans nine third-down conversions Saturday were more than double what the MSU defense had allowed in the first two games combined from Jackson State University and Auburn University.
“They were good at attacking our soft spots on defense but our routes to the football weren’t good and we flat out didn’t tackle well,” Lawrence said. “If anybody runs the ball or gets yards on us, it’s a stab to the heart but maybe we needed a little kick in the butt.”
Senior co-captain Josh Boyd said the letdown on defense wasn’t so much about MSU undervaluing Troy but an inability to get pressure on the quarterback. In the two quarterback hurries by cornerback Johnthan Banks, Bulldogs defensive back Darius Slay was able to notch two interceptions, which would lead to MSU touchdowns on the subsequent drives.
“I think at times we had too many (defensive) guys trying to make spectacular plays,” MSU senior defensive tackle Josh Boyd said. “If we maintain our gaps and do our jobs then the turnovers and negative plays should take care of themselves.”
The speed and quickness at which Troy quarterback Corey Robinson got rid of the football from the pocket allowed two different receivers to catch seven or more passes during a game since MSU defensive coordinator Chris Wilson took over the Bulldogs defense.
“It was something I said before the week started that he was one of the better quarterbacks we would see this season but again, we have to find a way to get off the field,” Wilson said. “When teams try to find one-on-one matchups in your defense, certain guys have to step up and match that challenge with effort.”
Mullen said he felt through the week MSU was prepared for the speed of Troy’s offense but after the victory Saturday night said his coaching staff “had a bad plan” for how to stop the Trojans on the road. That “bad plan” led to 572 yards of total offense and 30 first downs.
“It was something that we prepared for and you look — that’s who they are and what their offense is,” Mullen said. “The way you stop it is you never let them get it going in the first place. You saw those first two times with those 3-and-outs that there was no tempo. When they got their second or third first down, that’s when they would speed things up and by not being able to do that on third down, missing tackles you allow them to play to their strengths.”
South Alabama head coach Joey Jones is hoping his team’s quickness and speed can have the same effect on MSU’s defense despite having a significant size disadvantage at the line of scrimmage.
“When you recruit SEC linemen, they are going to get those guys who can play in the middle,” Jones said. “They are very well coached on defense and show a lot of movement in the secondary spinning coverages; at the snap of the ball you see one thing, and after the snap they are moving to something else.”
Mullen said Monday he wouldn’t bring up with his team that this is the Jaguars (1-2) biggest game of the season and first against an SEC opponent in school history because the evaluations don’t include how the opponent should control anything, especially at Davis Wade Stadium.
“They have the opportunity to play a premier program, but we stick with what we’ve talked about all year,” Mullen said. “We have to perform to our level. That is the most critical thing. If we had made open-field tackles last week and had caught the ball, just those two little minor things we control, there would have been a very different outcome, probably, to that game.”
You can help your community
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 45 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
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 45 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
