STARKVILLE — If they didn’t hear it in Nashville during SEC media days, they saw it on Twitter. Or ESPN. Or Facebook. Or just from every national college football pundit, who gave their not-so-great expectations for Mississippi State football this summer.
The Bulldogs, under first-year head coach Zach Arnett, were picked by the media to finish last in the West division of the Southeastern Conference, despite the fact the Bulldogs are coming off of a nine-win season and returning a bulk of their offensive and defensive playmakers.
However, Arnett and some of MSU’s leaders said they are not worried about external expectations ahead of this Saturday’s season opener against Southeastern Louisiana at Davis Wade Stadium (3 p.m./SECN).
“All that does is distract us from the job at hand and that is preparing for Southeastern Louisiana,” Arnett said Monday during his availability with local media. “We have to control what we can control. How we prepare and show up to work every day this week leading into the game on Saturday is all we need to be focused on.”
Arnett said he is expecting a battle from Southeastern Louisiana, an FCS program, who won the Southland Conference last season for the first time since 2014. Though MSU’s players have taken note of what others expect out of their season this fall, they echoed their head coach Monday in worrying more about Saturday’s opponent.
“We don’t take too much thought into it,” MSU quarterback Will Rogers said. “Just use it as motivation and try to go 1-0 every single week.”
Rogers, MSU’s senior starting quarterback, has had to deal with his own outside expectations, with many doubting if he could succeed in a new offensive scheme. MSU has transitioned from Mike Leach’s Air-Raid attack to the more balanced ideology of first-year coordinator Kevin Barbay.
Despite the changes, Rogers said he feels he is playing as confidently as he ever has.
“You never want to regress over the years, so I have tried to get better every single year,” he said. “I think I have continued to get better and this week just trying to get better each day. Trying to prepare myself for the game and get ready.”
Over his career, Rogers has set numerous school and conference records in Leach’s pass-heavy offense, including holding MSU’s program record with 10,689 passing yards and 82 touchdown passes.
Rogers said he believes that type of success should be able to carry over into MSU’s offensive system as he looks to prove his doubters wrong.
“At the end of the day, people can say what they want to say,” Rogers said. “I’m going to go out there, prepare harder than anyone we play. I use that as motivation and keep it in the back of my mind, like just write that down on a sticky note and remember who said what and when they said it. I am looking forward to it and excited for Saturday.”
MSU fills out secondary, though it is not set in stone
One of Arnett’s biggest jobs this offseason was filling out a defensive secondary that lost four starters from the 2022 season.
By the looks of the depth chart MSU released Monday morning, Arnett settled in on a veteran group, which includes Shawn Preston Jr, Marcus Banks and Hunter Washington at safety, with Esais Furdge manning other the other cornerback position opposite off Decamerion Richardson, the Bulldogs’ lone returning secondary starter.
Ultimately, Arnett said, it came down to those four players simply grading out better than others during three weeks of camp practices.
“That’s not some magic formula,” Arnett said. “You install the coverages, go out and practice, then evaluate the film. They get lined up in the right position, have eyes in the right place, react accordingly to what their key tells them to and put themselves in the best position to make places and not hurt the defense by giving up explosive plays. We are going to continue to evaluate that all week and figure out who the best five are.”
Banks, who transitioned from cornerback to safety toward the end of last season, said the camp-long competition was something the secondary group needed to make it more hungry heading into the season.
It also created confidence in each other that they would be able to excel when the Bulldogs take the field this Saturday for the first time at Davis Wade Stadium.
“You have to trust your teammates,” Banks said. “That comes with reps during practice and you gotta be able to trust the guy you are playing next to do his job. That is why we practice and watch film together.”
Arnett added that MSU’s released depth chart Monday is not set in stone, and the coaching staff could make changes to its starting offense and defense if something comes up this week of practice.
“You can’t play a guy who has a horrible week of practice and doesn’t know the game plan or doesn’t execute,” Arnett said. “Every player knows and understands that. They have the leg up, that is why we listed them.”
Seth Davis in the mix at running back
Of the 68 spots listed on MSU’s released depth chart Monday morning, seven were held by true freshman players.
“We were excited about that recruiting class when we signed them,” Arnett said. “You feel it is a little bit of validation. You evaluated good, and then they come and live up to the hype. Now you feel confident you can throw them out there as a true freshman and play this level of football. Until we actually see what they do in the fire, it is all potential.”
Those included were wideout Creed Whittemore, tight end Malik Ellis, kicker Kyle Ferrie, punter Keelan Crimmins, linebacker Zakari Tillman, cornerback Brice Pollock, safety Isaac Smith and running back Seth Davis, who has stood out amongst a veteran group of ball carriers.
Davis was listed as MSU’s second-string running back option, along with sophomore Simeon Price, behind starter Jo’quavious Marks.
Penn State transfer Keyvone Lee and JUCO transfer Jeffery Pittman were not listed.
“He has done a great job when he got his carries,” Arnett said of Davis. “He has a good feel for where the seam is going to be without necessarily waiting for it to emerge. There is an instinct as a ball carrier for where the hole is going to emerge. Some guys have a feel for that and hit it sooner. That is what separates guys. Seth has done a really good job (with that). He seems to always hit the hole and does a good job of never getting hit square on contact.”
Marks, MSU’s returning starter at the position, said Davis, who arrived in Starkville in January, has displayed that natural ability to get upfield and create explosive plays throughout the Bulldogs’ fall camp, prompting some early playing time opportunities this season.
“He had that type of feel before he came to Mississippi State,” Marks said. “ I think he is probably the most elusive in the running back room. He brings a different type of back to our room.”
Justin Frommer is the Mississippi State sports reporter for The Dispatch.
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