UAB Game Report Card

Sep 6, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive lineman Chris Jones (96) attempts to tackle UAB Blazers quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe (16) during the game at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s pass out some grades for MSU’s performance against the Blazers. Offense, defense, special teams and coaching.

Offense: B+

Aside from the alternating of 1st and 2nd teams each possession which stymied the production, the offense looked pretty good. Six touchdowns is good no matter the opponent. UAB wasn’t a terrible defense.

When Dak and the first team offense was on the field they scored on touchdowns on 60% of their first 10 drives including 5 of 7 once Dak was in the game on every drive. That is really good.

It wasn’t quite as easy to get wide open as it was against USM and it showed in Dak’s numbers: 12 of 25. Although I’m not going to fully blame them when they are getting alternated every other possession. Still, it’s only going to get tougher from here so those guys have to run good routes and Dak needs to be accurate with all his throws.

Defense: C-

It wasn’t all bad. The front seven was fine. UAB had a total of 29 yards over their first five possessions until they figured out they could torch our secondary. And quite unusually, a LB (Matt Wells) hurried the QB so a DL (Preston Smith) could pick off the pass and take it to the house.

Zach Jackson’s hit was incredible. That deserved a paragraph all to itself.

The secondary, in particular the man-to-man coverage by the cornerbacks was bad. Four plays of 50 or more in the passing game? That’s bad, real bad. Of course that lead to giving up 435 yards through the air.

If you get the coverage corrected and take away three TD passes of at least 75 yards then it’s not such a bad game. The YPG is fine and the final score is only 47-13. But it has to get corrected…and fast. We should have the athletes to play man in the SEC, and we saw what happened to South Carolina when they played zone against Texas A&M.

Special Teams: F

This was a pathetic display of “placekicking”. I use the quotes because I’m not sure what exactly that was. How does a college football team – no a FBS football team, no an SEC football team have kickers miss TWO extra points in one game and have another bounce off the upright? We didn’t attempt a field goal so still haven’t made one this year – the only team in the SEC to not kick one.

The punting was pretty good, but who cares. Punt returns were mediocre as usual, although it was nice to see Jamoral Graham get in there and

Sep 6, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs place kicker Evan Sobiesk (41) sets up to kick an extra point while Mississippi State Bulldogs place kicker Devon Bell (40) prepares to take the snap during the game against the UAB Blazers at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

I think he will do well this year. Our special teams – mainly placekicking is just so terrible I am sick about it.

Coaching: D

Like many, many fans have said – Mullen got too cute on Saturday with the substitutions.

If you told any SEC fan who did not see our game how Mullen rotated the “1a” and “1b” teams in every other possession they would tell you that is crazy. Because it is. What other coach would do this? Maybe Mullen was hoping to be an innovator but it didn’t work….at all. After scoring on the third play of the game, the next six drives fell flat on their face averaging just 17 yards and had just two first downs. Once Prescott was put in the game for good the offense did well.

I understand wanting to get Damian Williams and the second team in the game early, while there is still some measure of pressure. Alternating series is not the answer. Let the first team play the 1st quarter and the 2nd team play the 2nd quarter. You have to be able to establish a rhythm or you’re just spinning your wheels.

These games against lesser competition serve as a way to prepare for the SEC schedule. Well, you aren’t preparing for SEC games too adequately if you’re doing something that you absolutely will not do against LSU, A&M, Auburn, etc. At least, I sure hope we don’t.