Showtime has arrived in Starkville

Photo: Courtesy Jordan Mosley/Mississippi State

By Derrick Thomas

The Jeff Lebby era kicked off with a resounding victory against Eastern Kentucky. Showtime was in full swing at Davis-Wade Stadium on Saturday evening, with the Bulldogs scoring an impressive 56 points and the defense conceding only a late touchdown before the half. The debut of the new offense, led by several promising new Bulldogs, was a resounding success, offering plenty of reasons for fans to be optimistic and excited about the season.

The Start of the Show

Jeff Lebby was hired to bring offensive excitement to Starkville, and the Bulldog offense did not disappoint. Transfer portal quarterback Blake Shapen had a nearly flawless debut in Maroon and White, throwing for 247 yards and three touchdowns, adding 47 rushing yards and a touchdown. Kevin Coleman dazzled with five receptions for 88 yards with a 23-yard touchdown, catch, and 117 punt return yards. Jordan Mosely led all receivers with five catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.

Several other bulldogs had notable performances:

• Creed Whittmore scored on a perfectly executed reverse as he ran through the defense for 41 yards.
• Mario Craver caught his first touchdown as a Bulldog on a 54-yard bomb.
• Davon Booth ran for 39 yards and a touchdown.
• Elijah Cannon ended the scoring on a 51-yard Pick Six.
• Issac Smith finished with 11 tackles and 1 PD.

Issues at Intermission

Offensive Line/Ball Security

As much as the 56 points made me smile, some issues concerned me. While the offense ran for over 200 yards, the EKU defensive line gave the new-look offensive line some problems. I expected the new Bulldog offensive line to perform better in the run game versus an overmatched opponent.

The Bulldogs finished with no turnovers, but there were issues with ball security. Bulldog runners had three fumbles, but luckily, none were lost. Offensive coaches should focus on this during practice this week, and going forward, fumbles will not be an ailment to the Bulldog offense.

Defensive Line/Linebackers

The EKU offensive line opened holes all night long for its running game. Two backs ran for over 70 yards a piece. Some of that damage resulted from missed tackles, which is also a concern. The defensive line could only muster four TFLs and two sacks, while only one came from a starter, Kalvin Dinkins, who left with an injury. To help the secondary, constant pressure is needed, and the quarterback needs to be on the ground, better yet sacked.

Secondary

Only giving up 7 points is great, but this game should have been a shutout. On the lone scoring drive before the half, Morrissey extended drives by finding open receivers several times on 3rd down. EKU receivers evaded tacklers that would have ended drives. Ron Vann Jr. beat the defense across the middle for the lone score of the night for EKU. That score should have never happened with solid tackling on a few previous downs.

The Kicking Game.

Kyle Ferrie missed his only field goal attempt, but it was not his fault. The snap was low, the holder struggled to place the ball correctly, and Ferrie missed low to the right. Issues like this need to be as minimal as possible, as points are crucial, and an effective kicking game is the difference between a win and a loss.

Moving forward to Act II

The competition gets more challenging as the Bulldogs head to Tempe to take on Arizona State. The Sun Devils blew out the Wyoming Cowboys 49-7. Of course, the difference here is the level of competition, as Wyoming is an FBS opponent. Notably, the top two Bulldogs on the WR depth chart did not record a reception as Trent Hudson played and Kely Akharaiyi missed the contest due to Injury. Once those two get going, this offense will have more weapons for Shapen.

I am confident the Bulldogs will rise to the challenge and earn the win in the first FBS test of the season. I predict Mississippi State will start the season 2-0, 34-24.