“Benefitting” From Injuries
Jan 01, 2013; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Tyler Russell (17) is helped by offensive lineman Dillon Day (63) as he stays on the field after being injured on the play during the second half of the Gator Bowl against the Northwestern Wildcats at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
When trying to figure out how a football team is going to perform in a season that has yet to happen, the one thing that can always throw a wrinkle in someone’s prediction is injuries. Escaping a season without injuries in a violent sport like football is virtually impossible. There are going to be players who get hurt. The teams with the most success are the ones who suffer injuries that are minor or they happen to players who were not expected to contribute an abundance to begin with. To say that injuries can really alter the outlook of a season is an understatement.
The one thing they can do though is help the future. Such is the case for Mississippi State as they enter the 2014 season. Mississippi State got hit hard by injuries in 2013, and they got hit early. In the opening season loss against Oklahoma State, one of the biggest question marks on the team is how the secondary would hold up after losing both of their cornerbacks from 2012 to the second round of the NFL Draft. Those questions became even more important when starting safety Jay Hughes went down with a season ending injury early in the game. Later on in the second half, Tyler Russell would take a hard hit and be forced to leave the game with a concussion. Things did not look good in Starkville.
Most people thought that the best the Bulldogs could do in 2013 was find a way to get to six wins and make it to their fourth straight bowl game, and that was before they suffered any injuries. When they suffered injuries to two key positions, that looked to be an even bigger stretch than it was to begin the year. Most college football experts wrote the Bulldogs’ bowl prospects off in 2013 after they lost to Auburn, a game most thought Mississippi State had to win if they wanted to keep their bowl streak alive. When they lost that game, a depleted secondary and inexperienced quarterback were going to be relied heavily upon to get the Bulldogs to a bowl.
Fast forward to the end of 2013 and the Egg Bowl. Mississippi State would not only suffer injuries to Tyler Russell, but also to Dak Prescott which meant that true freshman Damian Williams saw much more playing time than any of us thought he would. He ended up starting and playing most of the Egg Bowl. In the secondary, people who were supposed to contribute as backups, like Taveze Calhoun and Kendrick Market, ended up playing significant roles on the defense.
Had the injuries not happened, we would be entering the year with a quarterback who would have only received playing time in a role as a change of pace guy, and members of our secondary that would have been looking to make their first few starts. Instead, we now have one of the most experienced teams in the SEC. The secondary is one of the best ball hawking secondaries in the country. Our quarterback that was supposed to be a change of pace player last year is coming into this season as the 2nd Team Preseason All SEC Quarterback and has Dark Horse Heisman hopes. None of this happens if we stay healthy last year.
Don’t misunderstand, you never want to suffer major injuries to any of your players. The difference between some teams though is that when they happen, you will see teams that give up and throw in the towel. Other teams see the injury as a chance for the next guy in line to step up and make a difference. That’s what the Bulldogs did in 2013. They could have sulked and bemoaned the injuries that hit the team in 2013, but instead, they used them as an opportunity to make themselves a deeper football team. So many that follow the Bulldogs are very optimistic about our chances in 2014. I’m not so sure that people feel that way if the team hadn’t responded the way they did to the injuries in 2013.