STARKVILLE — The deep shot was supposed to come on Mississippi State’s first offensive play, but the Bulldogs didn’t like the look Eastern Kentucky was giving them and opted for a shorter pass instead.
No matter. The explosive offense that head coach Jeff Lebby promised upon being hired showed up on the third play from scrimmage Saturday, when quarterback Blake Shapen went up over the top to Jordan Mosley, who took advantage of blown coverage to race 65 yards for a touchdown that put MSU in front just 32 seconds into the game.
The Bulldogs were not perfect, but they were dynamic on offense and sturdy on defense, handling their business in a 56-7 rout of the Colonels heading into next week’s game at Arizona State.
“We knew we were going to catch them off guard at some point, and it just happened the way it did,” Mosley said. “(Cornerback Vito Tisdale) was flat-footed, and I just ran past him, and looked up and the ball was in the air. Everything just slowed down. I really didn’t even know what to do when I got in the end zone; I kind of just hopped around. But it was a great moment.”
Shapen, the primary starter at Baylor the last three years with mixed results, looked completely comfortable in Lebby’s spread-out, fast-paced offense. MSU (1-0) hustled to the line of scrimmage early in the game, hardly ever huddling and frequently snapping the ball before Eastern Kentucky’s defense could get set. Shapen completed 15 of 20 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns and did not turn the ball over.
He also showed the ability to make plays with his legs. After the Bulldogs’ defense forced a three-and-out the first time it was on the field, MSU started its second drive deep in Colonels territory thanks to a 44-yard punt return by Kevin Coleman and a penalty. Four plays later, Shapen dropped back to pass but found a running lane and galloped into the end zone for a four-yard touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.
“That wasn’t intended on me to run the football right there. It was a bad read by me,” Shapen said. “I tried to make a play and that’s what happened. I really wasn’t supposed to pull that.”
MSU’s offense briefly slowed down after that — a flash downpour over Davis Wade Stadium may have played a role — but the defense did well to keep plays in front of it and avoid losing contain. Eastern Kentucky (0-1) punted on each of its first five possessions and managed just two first downs on those drives.
Sophomore safety Isaac Smith led the Bulldogs with 11 tackles, five of them solo, and added a pass breakup. Smith played in every game as a true freshman last year but battled injuries in the spring of 2023, so this was his first time coming off a healthy preseason.
“It was great. Just coming off the season I had last year, getting to go out there today and do what I did… it was big for me,” Smith said. “Coming out here and being able to play and fly around and have fun today, it felt so good.”
The offense found its stride again in the second quarter, scoring three more touchdowns in quick succession to stretch the lead to 35. Sophomore Creed Whittemore took an end-around run 41 yards to pay dirt, and then Shapen connected twice more on deep shots — a 23-yarder to Louisville transfer Kevin Coleman and a 54-yarder to freshman Mario Craver, who made his first collegiate reception count.
The Colonels broke up the shutout just before halftime, driving 75 yards in 14 plays and scoring on a 9-yard pass from Matt Morrissey to Ron Vann Jr. But the MSU defense was stingy in the second half, stopping EKU on fourth down in Bulldog territory twice in the third quarter.
“Defensively, we did some great things,” Lebby said. “At times they had drives going, (but) we found ways to get off the field. The only drive, obviously, that we want back is the one right before halftime. So much good, but so much to clean up, and that was the message in the locker room.”
Utah State transfer running back Davon Booth found the end zone from a yard out on MSU’s first drive of the second half, and the Bulldogs added two non-offensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Linebacker JP Purvis blocked a punt that Craver recovered in the end zone, and freshman cornerback Elijah Cannon capped the scoring with a 51-yard pick six.
MSU was so productive despite running 19 fewer plays than the Colonels, averaging 7.9 yards per play to EKU’s 3.9. The Bulldogs often had outstanding starting field position thanks to Coleman, who totaled 117 yards on five punt returns.
“It was a good day for us,” Shapen said. “There were obviously some things that we can clean up and get better at, but overall it was a good start to the season. I’m just thankful for this opportunity at a new place, Mississippi State, and I know a lot of other guys feel that way. It was fun just to be able to come out together for the first time.”
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