STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State football team’s defense doesn’t like the first quarter.
The Bulldogs have struggled in the first quarter all season, and it was no different Saturday night against Kentucky. The Wildcats scored a touchdown and made a field goal in the opening quarter to take a 10-7 lead.
But MSU’s defense found its rhythm after the first 15 minutes and delivered a dominating final three quarters that fueled a 42-16 victory at Davis Wade Stadium.
“We just a few missed tackles and a few missed opportunities,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said. “We’ve got to make those plays to start off the game right away.”
In first quarters this season, MSU has allowed 62 points. In three games against Southeastern Conference opponents, MSU has given up 28 points. LSU and Texas A&M scored 14 points and went on to beat MSU. Auburn is the only SEC team not to score in the first quarter against MSU.
The Bulldogs (6-2, 2-2 SEC) allowed three points in the second and third quarters, and didn’t yield a point in the final quarter. In the final three quarters, MSU has allowed 80 points.
With a lot of young players on the defense, first-year defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said the slow starts are due to those players not being used to game speed.
“We practice really hard and coach tells us every day play hard for four quarters,” said junior linebacker Beniquez Brown, who had seven tackles, including one-and-a-half for loss. “I think it’s just a mind-set of how we come out.”
The Wildcats took a 7-0 lead with 8 minutes, 19 seconds remaining in the opening quarter on Patrick Towles’ 2-yard touchdown. MSU answered with a 1-yard Dak Prescott touchdown, but the Wildcats used a 44-yard Austin McGinnis field goal to re-take the lead.
MSU scored the next 21 points to take a 28-10 lead. Two of those touchdowns were a direct result of defensive stands.
After Chris Westry intercepted Prescott midway through the second quarter, MSU forced Kentucky to attempt a 48-yard field goal, which McGinnis missed wide left. Prescott then found Brandon Holloway for an 8-yard touchdown on the ensuing drive.
On the next drive, MSU senior cornerback Taveze Calhoun intercepted Towles and Prescott turned that into a 20-yard touchdown and an 18-point Bulldog lead.
“It’s taking us a while to get adjusted to the speed of the game, but I think it’s getting better and better every week,” Calhoun said. “I think we started playing a little better and faster this week than we did last week.”
After the interception, MSU fans came to their feet as Calhoun ran into the north end zone and high-fived a couple of fans. He was injured in the second quarter, but he returned on the same drive and brought the energy MSU was missing without Will Redmond, who is done for the year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Calhoun, who is from Morton, intercepted Towles for a second time in the third quarter. He finished with two tackles, both for loss, and a sack.
Kentucky had 423 yards of offense (163 rushing, 260 passing). McGinnis’ 48-yard field goal cut MSU’s lead to 28-13 at halftime.
The Wildcats (4-3, 2-3) gained 142 yards in the first quarter, but only managed 86 in the second quarter. After the Wildcats rushed for 80 yards in the first 15 minutes, the Bulldogs allowed -4 yards rushing in the second quarter. Kentucky’s Stanley Williams had 83 rushing yards in the first quarter and only 3 in the second quarter. He finished with 95 yards.
Redshirt freshman Cory Thomas recorded his first interception in the fourth quarter, as the Bulldogs forced three turnovers. In the first five games, MSU forced three turnovers. In the last three, the Bulldogs have forced six.
“I told our guys, there going to come and when they come, they’re going to start coming in bunches,” Mullen said. “You saw that (Saturday). We need to keep creating them throughout the course of the season.”
The Bulldogs had 10 tackles for loss. Safety Kivon Coman had nine tackles, while Richie Brown had seven to match Beniquez Brown.
With four SEC games remaining, MSU’s defense will have to find a formula to be successful in the first quarter. Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, and Ole Miss are on the slate for November.
“We know what we can do, we know how we practice, and we know what type of team we have,” Calhoun said. “We just go out there and try to play as hard as we can. We know plays are going to happen, it’s a long game.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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