By Brett Hudson
STARKVILLE — The life of Mississippi State defensive coordinator Todd Grantham surely would have been easier if defensive tackle Cory Thomas did not miss the last five games.
That doesn’t mean his absence was a bad thing.
The absence of Thomas gave junior Braxton Hoyett an opening and he did not disappoint. Seven tackles, 1.5 for a loss, 0.5 sacks and an interception later, Hoyett’s role is as big as its ever been as MSU (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) goes to Texas A&M (5-2, 3-1 SEC) at 6:15 p.m. Saturday at Kyle Field — even with Thomas expected to return this week.
“You might be afraid to play a guy because you have an older guy, but then all of a sudden a guy steps in and does a really good job,” Grantham said. “Now when the starter comes back you have more depth than you had before.”
Hoyett added, “I feel like, in my mind-set, I’ve always been ready for this moment, when somebody goes down and they want me to go out there and start a game.”
Because of Thomas’ absence, he’s now ready to do so in two positions. Hoyett started the season as the backup to Jeffery Simmons at nose tackle, but as Thomas’s injury took away MSU’s starting defensive tackle, Hoyett took on reps at that position, too. Now he’s listed as a co-starter with Thomas at defensive tackle while maintaining his backup nose tackle status.
Hoyett said MSU defensive line coach Brian Baker spent Monday’s practice experimenting with the new rotation with Thomas back in the fold.
No matter what the rotation settles into for the Texas A&M game, it’s almost certain to include more of Hoyett. Luckily, by now, Hoyett’s prepared for that — he had to get that way in a hurry after Thomas got injured against Louisiana Tech.
“That’s the most snaps I’ve played since I’ve been here,” Hoyett said. He estimated he never played more than 20 snaps in a game, but in Thomas’ absence, he estimates he played between 25 and 35 per game. “I feel like with those snaps, I conditioned myself better than I’ve ever been. I feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve been in since I’ve been here.
“It was definitely something I had to adjust to. I had to come back from my injury so I wasn’t in football shape. After LSU week, I did a lot more cardio — and I had to do a lot more repos in practice because Cory was out. Now, I’m fine. I go out to practice and I feel good.”
The exposure also made him a better player.
In Thomas’ absence, Hoyett was thrown to the ringer: two of the top four rushing offenses in the conference, Georgia and Auburn, both of them on the road. Seeing play of that quality — and more snaps against it — gave Hoyett a new perspective on his game.
“With the amount of plays I do play,” Hoyett said, “I think about what can I do different, how can I get off this block different because you get to see a lot of different blocking schemes.”
The end result has been a defensive line that’s as influenced by Hoyett as any other player, in good times and in bad. The high point of it all was Hoyett’s interception against Kentucky, the first by a defensive lineman. The low came after those aforementioned Georgia and Auburn losses, where in the aftermath, Hoyett was one of the most vital voices.
“After those games, we came together,” Hoyett said. “We know that’s not us, we know that’s not Mississippi State defense.”
Now, Mississippi State defense means seeing a lot of Hoyett.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter, @Brett_Hudson
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 33 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 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
