Following a 41-17 loss to Toledo last week, Mississippi State (1-2) opens Southeastern Conference play at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday against Florida (1-2, 0-1 SEC) at 11 a.m. on ESPN. The Gators dropped their conference opener at home to Texas A&M last Saturday, after losing to Miami and beating Samford.
Here are five keys to victory for the Bulldogs in their first meeting with Florida since 2018.
Start fast
MSU went three and out on its first two drives against Arizona State, then did so on its first three possessions against Toledo. That left the Bulldogs chasing points the entire game, and with the offense unable to sustain drives, their defense was on the field for 77 out of a possible 120 minutes between those two games.
“We have stressed that and are doing some things differently in practice this week, and have a heightened awareness of how we have to go start,” head coach Jeff Lebby said on Wednesday’s SEC teleconference. “It’s going to be incredibly important for our locker room, our team and our fan base to have a good start.”
Stay ahead of the chains
A big reason why MSU’s early-game offense has been so poor is that the Bulldogs have too often found themselves behind the chains, which led to undesirable downs and distances. The offensive line did not hold up against the Rockets’ pressure packages, leaving quarterback Blake Shapen hardly any time to examine his options and make a play.
On the first three drives alone, MSU faced a second-and-17 twice, a second-and-19 and a third-and-26. That took the Bulldogs straight out of rhythm and allowed Toledo to dictate the pace, which MSU cannot afford to let Florida do.
Cover the entire field
The Bulldogs’ defensive line generated very little pressure on Rockets quarterback Tucker Gleason, who completed 82 percent of his passes after coming in with a completion rate below 50 percent. Toledo’s receivers were wide open for chunk plays throughout the game, finding huge soft spots in the middle of MSU’s defense.
The secondary should benefit from the return of Kelley Jones this week, which bumps Brylan Lanier back to safety, but the Gators have a pair of dynamic receivers in Elijhah Badger and Chimere Dike, so it is imperative that the Bulldogs know where those two are at all times.
Stay disciplined
MSU committed 10 penalties for 104 yards in the Toledo game, with six penalties for 61 yards against the offense alone. That included an offensive pass interference call against freshman receiver Mario Craver for the second straight week as well as personal fouls on tight ends Justin Ball and Seydou Traore. On defense, safety Tyler Woodard was ejected for targeting in the fourth quarter. No matter how badly things are going, the Bulldogs will need to maintain their composure and stay cool.
Try out something new
It’s been tough sledding for MSU on offense, so why not get creative? To their credit, the Bulldogs tried this on the first play of the game against the Rockets, with speedy receiver Kevin Coleman taking a direct snap and finding the edge for a nice gain on first down — only for the play to be nullified by a holding penalty on Ball.
Getting junior college transfer running back Johnnie Daniels involved earlier could help open things up, as Daniels rushed for 59 yards on 10 carries, all in the second half. The Gators’ biggest weakness is their secondary, so if the line is able to protect Shapen, there could be some opportunities for big plays in the passing game.
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