Young.
That is how Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen described his team Saturday night after a 23-20 loss to then-No. 20 LSU at Tiger Stadium.
As Mullen looked into those young players’ eyes in the first half, he could tell the 99,910 fans on hand and the environment in Death Valley was affecting their focus and re-ordering their priorities. That lack of focus led to defensive miscues and a poor offensive showing in the first half that put the Bulldogs in a 23-3 hole at halftime. MSU played better in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter, but it couldn’t complete the comeback.
“In the first half, guys were worried about some of the wrong things,” Mullen said. “Whether it was the score or the crowd, they weren’t worried about going as hard as they could on every single play.”
MSU’s depth chart features 14 sophomores, 10 redshirt freshmen, and two freshmen. MSU’s youth and inexperience has played a role in the team’s 1-2 start. MSU will try to bounce back at 2:30 p.m. Saturday (WCBI) when it takes on
Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
In MSU’s 2014 trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, MSU beat LSU 34-29 behind the arm and legs of quarterback Dak Prescott, who is now the starting quarterback for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. But only 16 players who made that trip made the trip this season. With such a young team, the leadership of veterans like defensive lineman A.J. Jefferson, safety Kivon Coman, and wide receiver Fred Ross is even more important.
“The biggest thing is getting them to realize they can’t run those fans out there on the field and play with them,” Jefferson said. “They just have to stay composed and you have a job to do, just do your job. It’s really just staying in their ear and trying to motivate them.”
Coman agreed the veterans have to encourage the younger players and make sure they have the right mind-set. Coman remembers the trouble he had transitioning from high school football to college football. He said practice is the biggest thing for the young guys and that they have to give it their all on every snap.
“You can never get tired of doing the same thing over and over again,” Coman said. “That’s what I pride myself on. I did it when I didn’t have to, and that’s what brought me up to where I am today.”
Starting quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was 12 of 24 for 120 before he was forced to leave the game by rule in the fourth quarter after his helmet popped off. Backup Damian Williams came in and led two touchdown drives.
Mullen said the play of Williams and Fitzgerald doesn’t affect the quarterback situation and Fitzgerald will continue to be the starter.
The Bulldogs have yet to turn in a solid four quarters. Against South Alabama and South Carolina, MSU played well in the first half but slacked off in the second half. Against LSU, MSU played poorly in the first half but better in the second half.
Correcting that starts in practice, according to Coman.
“From Sunday through Thursday. You practice how you play and we need to start fast in practice,” Coman said.
Mullen said it’s frustrating his team hasn’t put together a good four quarters, but he pointed back to the youth and feels like there is a bright future.
Much was learned from the first road trip. Mullen hopes his young players learned what is expected of them and what it takes to win in the SEC.
“Hopefully the young guys learned to stop worrying about anything but going as hard as you can go on every snap,” Mullen said. “Stop worrying about the score, the situation, the crowd noise or are we winning or are we losing. Go play the next play and do it as hard as we possibly can.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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