by Nick Demoran
The best thing about Saturday was the pre-game nacho bar in our tailgating tent by Gate C.
The Junction was packed with everyone anticipating a head-to-head battle between Moorhead and Mullen. With the loss against Kentucky, this was the perfect time for Moorhead to rebound and keep his momentum going as the Head coach at Mississippi State. You win this game, and you could nearly lose out and keep your job.
Let’s start out with the negatives. We’ll keep it short and sweet for the sake of time on a Monday morning. Offense. I wouldn’t have known they were on the field if I wouldn’t have gone to the Dawg Walk. Joe Moorhead is advertised as an offensive guru. With possibly the most talented MSU team that’s been around in decades, expectations were extremely high. He’s been successful everywhere he’s been.
Home-run hire.
What was missing?
A lot of the fans point to Fitzgerald as the issue on offense. Personally, I find it hard for you to blame Nick if he’s not calling the plays. He is a run first quarterback. His skill set isn’t made for him to throw the ball 250+ yards a game.
Our offensive line couldn’t block Donald Trump on Twitter if they had to. Returning 4 starters, you’d think they would be blocking much better in SEC play.
Receivers – We can’t complain about Nick’s passing game if we are dropping the ones right on the numbers.
Kylin Hill must get more carries. He had 2 carries after half-time. I saw him yelling at Moorhead in the 4th quarter after we failed a 3rd down conversion. This offensive system was built on run first. Utilize the skills that these players possess.
Let’s end this on a positive note. Our defense is phenomenal. A lot of people questioned the hire of Bob Shoop since his defensive teams at Tennessee were often found atrocious. This Mississippi State defense is playing with more heart and energy than we’ve seen in a long time. Keep it going Schoop, you’ve found the winning formula. Kudos to our defensive staff and players.
We haven’t forgotten about you Jace Christman. Keep knocking down field goals. At this rate, you’re going to be heavily leaned on for the remainder of the season. Keep up the good work!
On the schedule for this week is #10 Auburn at home who is favored by 3.5 points as of now. It’s time for our offensive staff to get things together and get this program headed back in the right direction.
Hail State!