STARKVILLE — Mississippi State’s sideline will be a bit more crowded when it opens the season this Saturday against Southeastern Louisiana at Davis Wade Stadium (3 p.m./SECN), at least from a coaching standpoint.
First-year offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay and Matt Brock, both announced their intentions after Monday evening’s practice to coach Saturday’s opener from the field, rather than the team’s coaching box.
“I’m like a caged rat if I am in the box, to be honest with you,” Brock told local media Monday. “I don’t know how to handle that really well.”
Both Brock and Barbay pointed to a more personal angle of coaching a game when it comes to being on the sideline rather than in the box.
“I like to feel the flow of the game,” Barbay said. “When the defense starts wavering out or getting tired, when we can attack with different tempos. I like to look our guys in the eyes and if they need a little motivation, a little encouragement, I will give them a little fire.”
Added Brock: “I think it is going to be good to look at those guys and communicate what I am seeing and get a feel for it.”
Brock was elevated to MSU’s defensive coordinator role this January after he helped coach the Bulldogs to a ReliaQuest Bowl Game victory over Illinois following the death of Mike Leach. In that game, Brock’s defense held the Illini to just 22 rushing yards, while tallying a season-high seven sacks.
Previously, Brock had coached MSU’s linebackers as well as special teams from 2018-2020.
Barbay was hired by first-year head coach Zach Arnett to help transition MSU’s offense away from Leach’s Air-Raid attack into a more balanced offense.
Barbay said he will rely on MSU’s entire offensive staff to catch things, like certain leverages, he may not be able to see from the field level.
Barbay dealing with crowded running back room
Barbay became the latest member of the program Monday to praise freshman running Seth Davis, who seems to be trending toward playing time early in his Bulldog career.
“He makes the most of his opportunities,” Barbay said. “He sits there and he is patient, he listens and learns. He has really done a great job of taking advantage of the opportunities presented to him. He is competitive. The moment is never too big for him.”
Davis, from Katy, Texas, was listed as a backup option on MSU’s released depth chart Monday, along with Simeon Price, behind returning starter Jo’quavious Marks.
The Bulldogs also added two transfers this offseason in Keyvone Lee (Penn State) and Jeffery Pittman (JUCO) who have both flashed during camp but weren’t listed on Monday’s three-deep.
The depth at running back is a welcomed problem for Barbay as he figures out when it will be best to utilize each guy in certain packages.
“Each brings a different skill set,” Barbay said. “Some are more like each other than others. For us, that is the part that is fun…It is a good problem to have. You just got to find out the things those guys do well and put them in the right situations.”
The biggest problem with having five capable ball carriers, three of whom saw significant time at the Power Five level last season, is trying to keep all of them happy. Barbay, however, said it’s more important for each running back to understand how valuable opportunities will be this fall, whenever they come.
“It’s not so much about keeping guys happy as it is understanding that when you get your opportunity, and you know how stacked the running back room is, you have to make the most of it,” Barbay said . That doesn’t mean we need you to hit a home run every time, but that means the pressure is on and the competition is high. It is always a good thing and you would like that at every position.”
Brock leaning on leaders to keep defense focused for Week 1
As a coach, Brock said he has never felt comfortable about a Week 1 opponent because of all that can change in an offseason.
“It is a new year,” Brock said Monday. They have new personnel. You have an idea of what that is, but how they utilize it? They have had a whole offseason to change and tweak things, too.”
Even though Southeastern Louisiana is an FCS program, MSU’s defensive coach and veteran leaders expressed the importance of not looking past them.
“We can’t take any opponent lightly or take them for granted,” senior linebacker Jett Johnson said Monday. “This is a Division I team with some really good players. You gotta take it a game at a time. This is a great team and they will make plays to punch you in the mouth if you are not focused on them and give them your undivided attention.”
SELA finished 17th in the FCS last season, scoring more than 35 points per game and returns its quarterback, Eli Sawyer, who led his team to its first conference championship since 2014.
Brock said Johnson, along with MSU’s other defensive veterans will be key in keeping the Bulldogs focused on what could be a more explosive opening opponent than many may expect.
“You count on them from a leadership standpoint in the locker room,” Brock said. “You count on them from a practice standpoint, like, ‘Hey, it is Monday, but every one of these reps count because you never know.’
“I think it is easier to do anything when you have older players leading by example. If a younger guy walks in the locker room and the older guys are saying this or that and not taking an opponent seriously, that is going to leak into everyone else. That’s not the type of guy we have in that room, nor should it be.”
Justin Frommer is the Mississippi State sports reporter for The Dispatch.
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