As the Mississippi State Bulldogs get prepared to meet the LSU Tigers, we should prepare with some Mississippi State football questions (and answers) of our own.
Welcome, Bulldog fans, to the 2023 Mississippi State football season. Each week, I am going to attempt to come up with five insightful, ground-breaking, thought-provoking, mind-boggling, and downright original questions.
Then, I will send them, with minimal notice, to a blogger that covers whoever MSU is set to play that week so that you can get to know who will be on the opposing sidelines when kickoff comes around.
I’ll learn something, you’ll learn something, we’ll laugh together, it’ll be a great time.
Week 3 – Mississippi State football vs. Louisiana State Tigers
This week, we have John Fye from Death Valley Voice helping us out with some insight on the Tigers’ season through the first two weeks.
Check out the Q&A that I did with them over on their site as well, I think I did a great job of answering questions. John asked good questions, too, credit to him.
Let’s Go!
What do LSU football fans expect for this season?
LSU versus FSU was one of the most talked about games in Week 1 outside of Colorado vs. TCU. How did that outcome impact LSU fans’ expectations for the 2023 season?
Most LSU fans were disappointed by the blowout look in Week 1.
I don’t think a close game would have the same impact, but it is disappointing to show up so poorly after receiving significant hype during the offseason. Also, many reasons LSU failed against Florida State in Week 1 mirror the mistakes and shortcomings of their worst games in 2022.
Obviously, fans want to see improvements from Brian Kelly’s squad this season.
Nevertheless, the optimism in Baton Rouge will be restored as time passes and the Tigers (hopefully) start picking up wins against SEC opponents. Regarding wins and losses, LSU may be in the same position they were in a year ago regarding their path to the SEC Championship.
Explain LSU football coach Brian Kelly
Year 2 of Brian Kelly. It seems like everyone who follows college football has an opinion on the man. What are your two cents on Kelly and the perception of LSU football at this point in the “marriage”?
I think that Brian Kelly brought some much-needed organization, competence, and discipline to LSU football. The man knows how to build a successful program, including on the recruiting trail. However, I wonder whether his personality fits in Baton Rouge long-term.
Last season felt like Kelly was trying too hard to shed the image he brought with him from Notre Dame. The fake accent and dancing behind recruits were odd and unnatural for our head coach.
This season, we’ve already seen some of the Notre Dame Brian Kelly in Baton Rouge, and that’s not a good thing.
For example, Kelly has a habit of putting much blame on players during interviews after losses. He did so after the Week 1 blowout against Florida State. As such, I think his attitude will wear out its welcome in Death Valley awfully fast unless the Tigers are winning games.
LSU fan expectations for this Mississippi State football game
It’s no secret that MSU has had a lackluster record versus the Tigers, taking three of the last 20 (typing that out sucked). What are LSU fans saying headed into this weekend?
There’s a respect for Mississippi State football among LSU fans.
We remember how tough the Bulldogs played the Tigers last season in Baton Rouge. Also, there’s much to like about Zach Arnett, including his occasional sarcastic answer to media questions.
That said, we expect Mississippi State to put up a fight on Saturday, eerily similar to the 2022 contest. But there are no signs of arrogance or overconfidence from most LSU fans. Week 1 was very humbling, as was Grambling’s ability to move the football against the Tigers’ defense in the early stages of last week’s game.
However, the talent level at LSU is greater; thus, I think most fans expect the Tigers to pick up a road win on Saturday.
How do LSU fans see LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels?
Not a question but I would love to get an honest evaluation from you on Jayden Daniels as a QB.
For good reasons, Jayden Daniels is the most polarizing player on LSU’s roster. We know what he can do with his legs, but the jury remains out on Daniels’ ability to beat defenses from inside the pocket.
There was much hype from the LSU camp regarding Daniels’ ability and willingness to air the ball out more in 2022. However, we haven’t seen that yet this season. Daniels threw for 269 yards and five touchdowns, including a 47-yard bomb against Grambling, but that was an easy and expected task. We need to see if he can consistently put up those passing metrics against college football’s better defenses.
Meanwhile, behind Daniels, is Garrett Nussmeier, a quarterback who has looked phenomenal throwing the ball dating back to last year’s SEC championship game.
Regardless, I think that Daniels is the most skilled quarterback on the LSU roster, but his run-first instincts and decision-making while under duress are limiting factors. It speaks volumes that Mississippi State’s focus on defense is not allowing Daniels to get into the open field on Saturday. For me, I’d want opposing defenses worried about my quarterback’s ability to sling it.
Who should Mississippi State football fans be afraid of?
Who are three players MSU fans should know going into Saturday?
On offense, Mississippi State fans should look for running back Logan Diggs. LSU will play upwards of four running backs, but the transfer from Notre Dame has earned a spot at the top of the depth chart. Diggs received the lion’s share of handoffs during LSU’s early drives against Grambling. He finished the game with 15 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, I suggest the cowbell-swingers look for defensive tackle Maason Smith. Actually, Smith won’t be hard to find along LSU’s interior defensive line. Smith is one of the nation’s top defensive linemen who missed all but one drive last season because of a knee injury. He was suspended to begin the season and likely is very hungry going into Starkville.
For an X-factor, I think Bulldogs faithful should watch for true freshman running back Kaleb Jackson. Jackson is a speedster who will get some carries when offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock is looking for a change of pace. 2023’s top running back recruit out of Louisiana ran for 62 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Week 2.