STARKVILLE – Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen noticed it. So did Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator Geoff Collins.
When No. 1 MSU survived a 45-31 road win at Kentucky last Saturday, the Bulldogs did so in spite of struggles from MSU’s second-team defense, dubbed the team’s “1B” defense by Collins. At Kentucky, the 1B group gave up a pair of long touchdown passes, the first a 67-yarder from Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles to wide receiver Demarco Robinson, the second a 58-yarder from Towles to Javess Blue.
Asked about the performance of the 1B group, which includes 11 second-string players that are substituted frequently for MSU’s starters in an effort to keep the MSU defense fresh for the fourth quarter, Mullen minced no words.
“When you look at it, statistically the 1Bs had 22 plays and the 1As had 50 plays,” said Mullen. “Then there was some mix and matching on the other plays. In 22 plays, the 1Bs gave up more yards and more than double the points than the 1As gave up in twice as many plays. Those guys know their reps are contingent on how the perform in games, but we are not going to change who we are. We will still continue to rotate guys in to the game.”
The wholesale substitutions instituted by Collins this season, have occurred throughout the season, as the Bulldogs have built depth on the road to a 7-0 start. The 1B group, which also struggled against the pass in MSU’s 47-34 win over UAB in Week 2, consists mostly of underclassmen, players like sophomore defensive tackle Chris Jones and sophomore linebacker Richie Brown, who have each had moments of brilliance this season. Despite operating on MSU’s 1B group, Jones is second on the team with seven quarterback hurries and Brown leads the Bulldogs with three interceptions.
Against Kentucky, the 1B unit was gashed for more than 300 of Kentucky’s 504 total yards, and that put pressure on MSU’s 1A group, which consists of players like defensive end Preston Smith, linebacker Benardrick McKinney and cornerback Taveze Calhoun.
“We know we have to be better than we were last week,” said Brown. “It’s about stepping up and working in practice to make sure that doesn’t happen again. When our number is called, we will be there.”
Collins, in his second season as MSU’s defensive coordinator, says MSU’s substitution patterns are going nowhere.
“That’s who we are,” said Collins. “We believe in those guys, we believe in that group. We’ve had a good week of practice, working on mistakes we’ve made. Those guys will be there.”
The depth Collins and Mullen have built on defense, despite the struggles in Lexington, should come in handy against a physical, downhill Arkansas team that pounds on opposing defenses with a big offensive line and a pair of punishing tailbacks.
To Mullen, though, the week of practice leading up to MSU’s 6:15 kickoff against Arkansas Saturday night was crucial.
“The younger guys have to understand how hard they have to work, so we put a lot of emphasis on that at practice yesterday,” said Mullen. “We are making sure the effort level of the 1B defense is where it needs to be.”
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.
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