Mississippi State Bulldogs 2018 Football Preview

Mississippi State Bulldogs 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: When you really break down what Dan Mullen did during his tenure at Miss State, it's nothing short of impressive. Mullen managed to turn the Bulldogs into a consistent threat in the SEC West, and even though there were no breakthroughs in terms of division titles, he made MSU relevant, and that was a hard thing to do when he arrived in Starkville. He could not resist the call to move back to Florida, and the Bulldogs went outside the south and realm of SEC assistant hires when they lured Joe Moorhead, the OC at Penn State and former head coach at Fordham, who has zero experience working in the south, to the SEC. He is something out of a different book, and has known nothing but success. Can he adapt to the SEC and take this thing higher with his offensive pedigree?

Breakdown Offense: With Moorhead in as the head coach, expect bigger things from a healthy Nick Fitzgerald at QB. Fitzgerald, despite his success, often had a leash on him as a passer, and that will no longer be the case, as Moorhead values the deep ball as a regular piece of the offense, and integrates it into game planning. Look for Fitzgerald to be able to both run and pass freely in the new offense, and that should be great news for Bulldog fans and Fitzgerald himself. Fitzgerald also managed to rush for 984 yards and 14 scores, something you will see more of in the new offense. He passed for just 148 yards per game last season, a number that we should see increase in a big way. Keytaon Thompson is the backup once again, and is game ready, giving the Bulldogs significant depth at the position. Jalen Mayden will likely see a redshirt season to prepare for taking the job in the next year or two.

Aeris Williams returns at RB after rushing for 1107 yards and 6 scores. I would expect his average yards per carry (4.61) to blow up a bit this season in the new offense under Moorhead. Moorhead has always had big time performers at the position at both Fordham and Penn State, and there is no reason to expect any less here. Kylin Hill rushed for 393 yards, and is the primary backup. Nick Gibson and Dontavian Lee provide depth.

Jesse Jackson is the lone returning starter at WR this fall. He caught just 27 passes last season, a number that should also increase in the new offense. Stephen Guidry and Malik Dear are also penciled in as starters heading into fall camp. Reggie Todd and Jamal Couch are in the mix as well, and look for both Keith Mixon and Deddrick Thomas push Dear for the SLOT role. Austin Williams and Devonta Jason add more depth.

Farrod Green caught 9 passes as a sophomore last season, and should step into the starting TE job with the departure of Jordan Thomas. Justin Johnson is also expected to get plenty of reps moving forward.

The line boasts 4 returning starters in 2018, but they lose star Tackle Martinas Rankin. Expect Greg Eiland, a sophomore, to replace him in fall camp. Darryl Williams (LG), Eigton Jackson (C), Deion Calhoun (RG), and Stewart Reese (RT) are all returning to their roles from last season. Michael Story and Tyre Phillips are the reserves at Tackle, Dareuan Parker and Story back up inside, and Blake Mitchell backs up at C.

Breakdown Defense: Mississippi State, quietly, was one of the best defensive football teams in the nation last fall, finishing 10th nationally in total defense. The ranked 12th against the pass. There is good news and bad news this season, with 7 starters returning.

There is plenty of good news up front, where all 4 starters return on the line. Gerri Green and Montez Sweat are the DEs once again. This is a dominating duo on the edge, as Sweat led the Bulldogs with 15.5 TFLs last fall. He also led the team with 10.5 sacks on the year. Green had a big season on his own, as he finished the year with 11 TFLs and 5.5 sacks. This is one of the more dominating edge units in college football. Kobe Jones is the backup to Sweat, and finished with 4.5 TFLs as a freshman. He is one to watch after this season specifically. Chauncey Rivers and Fletcher Adams are two big time talents as well, and add depth behind Green.

Jeffery Simmons and Braxton Hoyett are the starters at DT heading into fall camp. Simmons adds to what is one of the best defensive lines in college football, as he finished last season with 12 TFLs, and added 5 sacks. Hoyett totaled 2.5 TFLs and acts more as a NT in the formation. Corey Thomas could rotate with Hoyett in the middle.

Leo Lewis returns to start at LB in the 4-2-5 formation that Bob Shoop is installing. He totaled 46 tackles as a sophomore last fall. Erroll Thompson moves into a starting spot after a productive freshman season that saw him finish with 46 tackles as a reserve. Willie Gay saw the field plenty as a freshman last fall as well, and figures into some kind of a rotation at LB. Tim Washington and Tyler Dunning provide inexperienced depth, as this position figures to be quite young in 2018.

Both Safeties return in Mark McLaurin (SS) and Jonathon Abram (FS). McLaurin led the team with 79 tackles last season, and totaled 6 PBUs in pass defense. He also totaled 3.5 TFLs last fall, and led the team with 6 INTs, including multiple picks of Lamar Jackson in the Tax Slayer Bowl. Abram totaled 71 tackles, with 5 TFLs and 5 PBUs. He added 2 forced fumbles. Jaquarias Landrews, Landon Guidry, and CJ Morgan all add depth.

With the addition of the 5th DB by Shoop, expect Brian Cole to be the new NB this fall. Cole sat out last fall after transferring from Michigan, where he played WR. Guidry and Morgan also figure to back him up.

The Bulldogs need to find two new starters at CB. Cam Dantzler, a sophomore, is expected to start at one spot, while senior Chris Rayford is expected to start opposite him. Dantzler finished with 3 PBUs as a freshman last fall. Jamal Peters is expected to push one or the other in fall camp for a starting job. He totaled 2 PBUs as a sophomore last season. Maurice Smitherman, Korey Charles, and Marcus Murphy are the reserves, but all are expected to take their shots at the starting job.

Breakdown Special Teams: Jace Christmann returns as the PK after a rock solid season that saw him hit 12/14 FGs last fall as a freshman. He was perfect on 42 PAT.

Logan Cooke has moved on as the Punter, so expect Kody Schnexnayder to take on the job as a sophomore this fall.

Reggie Todd was fairly average on kick returns last season, and could be pushed as the primary KR man this fall. Deddrick Thomas is one of the most dangerous PR men in the nation, as he averaged 17.33 yards per return last fall, with one score.

Final Analysis: The offense, which wanked 46th in total yards per game last fall, should show major signs of improvement once Moorhead takes the leash off of his guys. His offenses at Fordhm and Penn State were incredibly explosive, and should prove for plenty of entertainment this fall, as talent abodes all over the place. Fitzgerald should completely blossom in what will be his final season in Starkville. Defensively, there is talent to go around as well, but there are questions at LB and at CB that must be addressed to replicate the success of a season ago. If those areas are addressed, Mississippi State could be one of the most surprising teams in the nation this season. A road test early in non con play at Kansas State will show us what this team will be made of.