Which Mississippi State Concerns Are Real After the LSU Shutout

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State’s pass defense is the problem that should worry people most, and the last two games prove it.

Alabama and LSU combined to complete 49-of-62 passes for 593 yards and seven touchdowns against the Bulldogs, and Mississippi State did not record an interception and broke up just one pass across the two games, according to the box scores.

Two good offenses will make a lot of defenses look bad. Still, a secondary that broke up only one pass over two straight weeks is a real concern, and it is the first thing on this list that cannot be waved away.

Real concern: Jeff Lebby’s offense without Kamario Taylor

Mississippi State scored 172 points in its first four games and has scored 23 in the two since. Starting quarterback Kamario Taylor was banged up against Alabama and missed LSU entirely, and the drop-off tells you how much this offense depends on its quarterback.

Coach Lebby’s system needs a quarterback who can extend plays and stress a defense with his legs and his arm. Until Taylor is fully healthy, every opponent will play the Bulldogs like they have no answer, and so far they have been right.

Real concern: Ball security under pressure

Mississippi State turned it over four times against Alabama, including a pick-six, and added another giveaway at LSU. Over those two games, the Bulldogs gave the ball away five times and forced three turnovers of their own.

Mistakes like that are what turn tough games into blowouts. The talent gap with Alabama and LSU is real, but the turnover gap made it much worse, and that part is fixable.

Overreaction: The run game has disappeared

After running for just 18 yards on 30 carries against Alabama, it was fair to worry about the ground game. LSU then gave up 170 rushing yards to a Mississippi State team playing without leading back Fluff Bothwell.

An inconsistent run game is still a fixable one. If Bothwell returns, the Bulldogs have the pieces to lean on the ground, and a team with a quarterback question needs that more than ever.

Overreaction: The season is slipping away

Mississippi State started 4-0 for the second consecutive season, and two losses to ranked SEC opponents do not erase that. The Bulldogs need two more wins to reach six, and the schedule still includes home games against Vanderbilt, Auburn and FCS Tennessee Tech.

Mississippi State coach Lebby sounded like a coach who understood both sides after the LSU game. 

“It’s like I said, nobody likes it. I don’t like it, players don’t like it, ain’t good enough. That’s the reality of it,” Lebby said in his postgame press conference.

He also pointed to what comes next for his locker room. 

“Leadership is called upon in these moments and these times. That’s why they call us coaches is to find ways to get these guys to stick together and understand how much we have out in front of us,” Lebby said.

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