STARKVILLE — Mississippi State linebacker Dez Harris admits he was nervous.
Taking the field as a Bulldog for the first time, Harris was part of what defensive coordinator Geoff Collins calls MSU’s “1B defense.” When he was sent into the game on the second possession in the season opener against Southern Mississippi, Harris acknowledged he needed to make an adjustment.
“I think it took my two or three plays to get comfortable,” Harris said. “Once I got out there, (linebacker) Beniquez Brown looked at me and just said, ‘Play ball.’ After that, I was fine.
“I knew I had to be ready to make plays. That’s just part of playing in this defense.”
Although a redshirt freshman, Harris saw significant playing time as part of a defense that boasts remarkable depth. The Bulldogs never played consecutive series with the same 11 defenders, which led Collins to send nearly three dozen players out for snaps in the 49-0 victory against Southern Miss.
“These guys work hard in the offseason and they work hard in practice,” Collins said. “In this defense, everybody knows they’re going to play. They are not sitting around hoping for a few plays here, a few plays there. They know that if you come to work, if you buy in, you’re going to play in our defense.”
That mentality led to wave after wave of Bulldogs dominating the Golden Eagles. That team-first mentality — no MSU defender played more than 32 snaps — likely will continue at 1 p.m. Saturday against Conference USA foe Alabama-Birmingham. MSU, which recorded its first shutout since 1999, will contend with an offense that rushed for 339 yards in a 48-10 victory against Troy to open the season.
Waiting for the Blazers will be a defense that saw 35 players see action in the opener. Thirty-one were credited with at least one tackle.
The Bulldogs forced three turnovers, allowed 2.6 yards per carry, and scored on a 68-yard blocked field goal return by safety Jay Hughes.
“I want to see us roll players through a bunch,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said. “I’d like for us to be able to do that throughout the course of the season. I think that helps you, and it keeps guys fresh. We did not have any defensive player play more than 32 snaps in the game. We had a lot play that amount, but nobody played more than 32 defensive snaps in the game, which for us is what we want — guys that are fresh being able to play for four quarters and being able play at very high speed and high level for four quarters.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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