STARKVILLE — LSU quarterback Anthony Jennings never had a chance.
Lining up in a shotgun formation on third-and-8 against Mississippi State, Jennings surveyed a three-man defensive front that included defensive end Preston Smith shifting to the middle of MSU’s line. As soon as the ball was snapped, Jennings was in Smith’s crosshairs, and the 6-foot-6, 267-pound senior from Stone Mountain, Georgia, exploded through the center of LSU’s offensive line and dropped Jennings for an 8-yard loss. It was Smith’s third sack of the season and set the tone for a defense that sacked LSU quarterbacks three times in a dominating effort that catapulted MSU to a 34-29 win.
It happened just the way MSU defensive coordinator Geoff Collins drew it up.
“Preston is a dynamic player,” Collins said. “Not a lot of centers are used to having a guy like Preston lined up over the top of them. Offensive tackles are used to handling dynamic pass rushers, but not centers, so when we move Preston to that spot, it opens up so many possibilities. And our blitz packages, the way we blitz off of that formation, it really creates mismatches and allows us to do a number of things.”
The defensive look Collins is referring to is a staple of MSU’s defensive attack on third down. When the Bulldogs force opposing teams into third-and-long, which primarily is a passing situation, Collins dials up a three-man front with Smith in the middle, sophomore sensation Chris Jones at one defensive end, and often sophomore Ryan Brown at the other.
The front has been lethal for the Bulldogs this season. All three of Smith’s sacks have come from the formation, and the Bulldogs have earned eight of their 14 sacks on third-and-long. The Bulldogs also have forced three turnovers out of the look, which Collins says, “is a matchup nightmare.”
“Preston is so big and so fast, it’s hard for a center to handle that,” said Jones, who earned a sack on a similar look against South Alabama thanks to Smith forcing quarterback Brandon Bridge to run his way. “I think when I move out to end, I’m able to use my power and my speed, and Preston forces the action out of the pocket so one of us can get the quarterback.”
Collins’ presentation of the three-man front has several variations. The Bulldogs often drop eight into coverage — not to be confused with the end-of-game look MSU presented against LSU, which featured no attempt to create a pass rush — or use the front to disguise blitzes from their linebackers.
“Preston’s versatility allows us to blitz a number of ways,” Collins said. “Sometimes those blitzes drive that quarterback right into where Preston is going, and he has the speed to get there.”
Others have noticed. At his weekly press conference Tuesday, Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin raved about MSU’s defensive abilities.
“They’ve always been talented defensively. They have a big athletic defensive line,” Sumlin said. “They are one of the tops in the league in tackles for loss. Their defensive coordinator Geoff Collins likes to play football on your side of the line of scrimmage. They’re extremely aggressive.”
Collins’ propensity for calling the Smith-based three-man front could be tested early and often at 11 a.m. Saturday (ESPN), when MSU will have to stop one of the nation’s most prolific offenses. When No. 6 Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) rolls into Starkville to meet No. 12 MSU (4-0, 1-0), it will do so behind freshman quarterback Kenny Hill, who calls the shots for an offense averaging a nation-best 51.2 points per game.
“That’s an unbelievable offensive football team,” said MSU coach Dan Mullen, who is 0-2 against Texas A&M since the Aggies joined the SEC prior to the 2012 season. “They have weapons everywhere. Their wideouts are mismatches across the board. A lot of people have one or two mismatches. They put four mismatches out there on the field with size and speed at the receiver position and then a quarterback, for a young guy, really understands their system well and makes plays. They play with a lot of confidence as one of the top offenses in the nation.”
Hill, who burst onto the scene with a five-touchdown performance in a season-opening 52-28 victory against South Carolina, has been nearly perfect. Replacing former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel as Texas A&M’s offensive leader, Hill has thrown for 1,745 yards and 17 touchdowns. But he hasn’t faced pressure often. The SEC teams that Texas A&M has beaten — Arkansas and South Carolina — have combined for 14 quarterback sacks, the same number MSU’s defensive line has through four games. The Bulldogs also lead the league in tackles-for-loss (35) behind Smith, who won the SEC’s Defensive Lineman of the Week award the first three weeks of the season.
“We have to get pressure. There’s no doubt about it,” Smith said. “(Hill) is very good, very poised for a freshman. But this is still his first year, so it’s up to us to get after him and force some bad throws. Hopefully we are able to force some throws that end up in our defensive backs’ hands.”
MSU’s defensive backs have struggled at times, as evidenced by a 435-yard letdown against Alabama-Birmingham and a 288-yard performance at South Alabama. But against No. 8 LSU, MSU’s defensive backs allowed 121 passing yards through three quarters before backups entered the game. The defense is allowing a completion percentage of 50.2, the 11th lowest average in the country.
“A lot of those perceived struggles is a product of the defense we’re calling,” Collins said. “We want to be active up front. We go hunting for negative plays, which means a lot of sacks, a lot tackles for loss. But it also means leaving guys on an island one-on-one in the back end. They’ve won most of those battles. The problem is when they lose them, it shows up big and it’s obvious who lost it. But those guys are doing a good job.”
A consistent pass rush, which MSU has had, will help the defensive backs against an offense that leads the conference in passing yards and passing touchdowns. That all leads back to the defensive front, which thrives when Smith finds his way to the middle of the formation.
“I love it,” said Smith, who has three sacks, two interceptions, and two blocked kicks. “When coach calls that particular defense, it brings a smile to my face because I believe I have an advantage over any center. They usually don’t have to block somebody with my size and speed, so that creates a mismatch. When that happens, I have trust in my teammates on the line and our linebackers that somebody is going to make a play.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.