MSU Report Card vs. Alabama
Nov 15, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott (15) throws the ball over Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Ryan Anderson (7) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
When I decided we would do a weekly post grading out the offense, defense, special teams and coaching at the beginning of the year I never imagined it would be until Week 12 before we would be talking about a loss. But it’s been a truly special season for Mississippi State – a loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa is nothing to be ashamed of. That said, let’s dive in with how the Bulldogs performed…
Offense: B-
The running game was pretty poor early and often. The offensive line could not get any sort of push nearly the entire game, and nearly all the runs up the middle were stuffed for little or no gain. Despite Josh Robinson not being able to get going on the ground, and Dak Prescott only mildly effective, State ran for 48 yards more than Bama allows per game. Prescott threw for 290 yards which was 105 yards more than Bama allows per game. They also scored two touchdowns when the Tide defense had only allowed 1.22 per game this year. So it wasn’t all bad.
Of course it could have been so much more. While the first half featured a lot of struggles, the Bulldogs were backed into their own territory no further than the 21 yard line on each of their first six possessions. Nevertheless, they were able to drive 70 yards on the final drive to get a field goal. In the second half the offense really opened up and played well. If not for the two interceptions deep in Bama territory we are probably talking about another outcome.
Defense: B
Just like the offense had bad starting position in the first half, so did the defense. A couple of big plays cost State and it allowed the big first half lead for the Tide.
Overall, the Dawgs played the run just as well as the Bama defense with the lone exception of containing Blake Sims on those 3rd down runs that ended up being their undoing in the game-winning drive. That was the only drive Alabama made any progress in the second half. The defense was suffocating in the 3rd quarter, and got a stop late in the 4th to give the offense a final chance.
All the talk before the game was about how well Alabama’s offense plays at home. MSU’s defense held them well below their season averages. It was a good game by Geoff Collins bunch – they played well enough to win.
Special Teams: C-
I give the passing grade because Evan Sobiesk knocked both of his field goal attempts through the uprights, and Fred Ross did a good job on punt returns including a 20 yard return that set up the best field position of the night leading to a touchdown.
There was plenty of bad, however. Kickoff returns were a disaster. State could not even get back to the 20. They continually set the offense up in bad field position.
Devon Bell was atrocious. A 33.8 yard average? He was a big time reason for the field position problems.
Coaching: C
I was disappointed in the running game, but I also understood why Mullen didn’t stick with it. Alabama is just a different beast and we have always been horrible against them trying to pound it. At least in this game Mullen did find a way to get some yards on the ground so it wasn’t a complete disaster. I will hand it to Coach Mullen as a play-caller because he made the necessary adjustments to start moving the ball effectively in the 2nd half. He put State in a position to win the game, it just didn’t work out with the turnovers. You can question as many play calls as you want to, but at the end of the day he called a pretty good game that resulted in 428 total yards offensively against a great defensive team. That’s pretty good. It should have resulted in more points but the player execution wasn’t always there.
Mullen’s clock management at the end of the game: awful. It’s been that way his entire tenure in Starkville. That has to get fixed if we’re going to be playing in big, close games.
The 1B defense has to go in these big games. When I look up and see Jackson, Holmes and Richie Brown in the game at the same time I know we are in trouble. Sure enough, when those guys are in there all at once bad things happen. They are good players but we have stars on the defense who need to be used interchangeably with the 2nd string guys. Mass substitutions are not necessary to be fresh in the 4th quarter. Just sub like a normal team.
It was a big game and State played bad and played good. It was a learning experience for both the players and coaches. At the end of the day they came up short but also showed they belong. Hopefully the loss won’t cost them a chance at a championship(s). If they can learn from this game they’ll be ready to go for the next big game this year.