Mississippi State football film preview: Can Bulldogs crush Western Michigan?

Examining Western Michigan’s Defense

Western Michigan had a disappointing season in 2022, and it led to then-HC Tim Lester being let go. But the defense wasn’t to blame. DC Lou Esposito’s’ unit finished second in the MAC in both scoring and total defense, holding opponents to 24.1 PPG and 352.3 YPG. They played an attacking style that led to them forcing the second-most turnovers in the league.

Lance Taylor recognized this success, as well as the talent on that side of the ball. He retained Esposito, hoping that would convince some of the returning defensive players to remain on the roster. His efforts fell short. Three key contributors from the 2022 defense transferred to P5 programs. Couple that with players graduating, and the defense returned just two starters.

Understandably, there’s been a noticeable drop-off in defensive production this season. The Broncos are allowing 405 YPG and nearly 36 PPG. Granted, they have already faced two P5 teams plus the MAC’s most talented roster in Toledo on the road this year. But they performed better in similar games last season.

It’s not all bad, though. Esposito’s style still creates plenty of havoc for opponents, and that can create opportunities for their offense. His defense is attacking. They blitz frequently, bringing diverse pressure looks out of a variety of defensive fronts. You’ll see both three and four-down looks, and they’ll play around with having DL in two-point stances. They’re looking to create confusion and disruption up front.

Even when they don’t blitz, they have enough talent along the DL to cause problems for offenses. Mason Nelson is one of them. The 6’1, 310 pound sophomore has three sacks and four TFL on the season. He’s an interior lineman, but here, WMU lines him up as a 7-tech edge rusher while an actual DE aligns inside of him from a two-point stance. They work a “T.E.” or “Tackle-End” stunt that gets Nelson free up the interior on Iowa QB Cade McNamara. Nelson doesn’t quite get him down, but he impedes him enough to allow another DL to come finish the job.

WMU’s aggressiveness has worked against them, however. They’re allowing right at 250 passing YPG. Opposing QBs are completing 61% of their passes against them at 8.6 YPA with 11 TDs. They’ve already allowed 20 passing plays of at least 20-yards, ranking 110th in the country. They love to play man coverage on the backend, and that’s created chances downfield for opponents.

This is from their season-opener against FCS Saint Francis (Pa.). WMU goes with a 0-blitz on 3rd & 11, sending a CB off both edges. This puts the field safety one-on-one with a slot receiver. The Saint Francis slot runs a corner route to the field side, giving him tons of space to operate, and the QB hits him in stride for a huge gain.

Mississippi State has had major issues with pass protection this season. That could be cause for concern against a team as aggressive up front at Western Michigan. But State saw vs South Carolina that it’s capable of connecting on deep shots vs man coverage downfield, and WMU will provide them with plenty of those chances. If State’s OL can keep Will Rogers upright, they should be able to find success on offense in this game.