With No. 14 Texas A&M traveling to Starkville to face Mississippi State Saturday, we turned to Jason Stamm of Bulldog Blitz to get more insight into the Bulldogs:
1) What's going on with the defense? The numbers on that side of the ball are, statistically, really bad. Is this a scheme thing, a lack of talent, an adjustment period or something else?
Well, partly, those numbers are a bit skewed from playing Georgia and Texas the past two games. Those are two very capable offenses. That said, Toledo still put up 41 points on State. Part of it is an adjustment. The whole program is still in a big transition from the loss of Mike Leach nearly two years ago. It was an interim staff last season, after all. But it's also through the air that the Bulldogs have especially been burned. The defensive backs just haven't been up to snuff. Talent is part of it, but I'd imagine some changes being made in the off-season on defense, especially.
2) It seems like the Bulldogs blitz a fair amount, but without a whole lot of success. Have they altered their approach any as the season has gone on?
Not a ton has been altered. They do mix in a good amount of blitzes, which leaves them vulnerable in the secondary. And honestly, you can point to that as one reason, not the only reason, but one reason why the defense has struggled. But I don't see them changing much moving forward. The defense has been outplayed, but they've stayed true to what they want to do on that side of the ball.
3)Â What's the mindset on the offense after Michael Van Buren's second half last week at Georgia? Who are the other guys to watch when State has the ball?
Van Buren's biggest weapon is wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. He's a speedster and has 36 catches. The next highest is tight end Seydou Traore with 18. But they usually get creative about getting Coleman the ball, with some screens, some pitches, even some out of the backfield. He's really their best weapon on offense. Davon Booth took over at running back for Keyvone Lee, who got hurt against Florida. Booth has decent speed and ability, but he'll still split time with Johnnie Daniels. Overall, partly because of Lee's injury, the running game has just been inconsistent this season.
4) Have you seen any improvement from the offensive line in the past few weeks? It seems like they've given up a lot of sacks, but Georgia didn't really do any damage.
Well, you have to remember, Van Buren is a true freshman whose first start came against Texas. He's now started two games and I think he's getting more comfortable. He still plays like a freshman at times, but it's less deer in the headlights. He moves better than Blake Shapen and is a bit more athletic, but Van Buren figuring things out is one reason for the slight dip in sacks. I'd expect that to improve, too, as he learns when to throw the ball away, move out of trouble, etc.
5) Do you get the feeling that this team may have turned a corner after last week, or is it still just a step in a tough rebuild that Jeff Lebby has to undertake?
I think it's still way too early to say a corner has been turned. There were positives, including how Mississippi State scored late and never was fully out of the game against Georgia until the end. But as you said, this is only the beginning of the rebuild. the Bulldogs have done pretty well in recruiting so far, which will help, but they need more help from the transfer portal, too. We're talking a multi-year rebuild, not just one game.
6) Got a score prediction?
This is one that I wouldn't be shocked to see Mississippi State hang in and steal. Again, there have been lots of positives the last two weeks, on the road with Texas and Georgia. Still, A&M is by far the more talented, better team and the Aggies should win. I'll pick the Aggies, but I don't think they're gonna run away with it. I'll say Texas A&M 38, Mississippi State 31
You can check out AY's answers to Bulldog Blitz's questions here.
