OPINION: Miss. State paying the price now for future progress
by Brad Locke/NEMS Daily Journal
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Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon (24) dives into the end zone over Houston defenders Nick Saenz, below and Jamal Robinson (32) during their an NCAA college football game in Starkville. The touchdown was called back for a holding penalty. Houston won 31-24. (AP Photo Jim Lytle)
STARKVILLE - I keep going back and forth.
Should I be hard on this Mississippi State team for basically gifting three consecutive wins to its visitors? For committing so many turnovers? For crumbling under the pressure of the fourth quarter?
Or should I focus on the fact that this is a young team with a young coach trying to master a new spread offense? And really, the offense is playing lights out compared to last year.
Heck, if MSU scores 18 points next week against Middle Tennessee State - a high probability - it will equal last season's entire point output. That would put State on pace to almost double last season's total.
Perhaps it's easy to be hard on the Bulldogs because they've played above their heads.
Who actually thought they'd have a chance against LSU? Who really thought they'd beat Georgia Tech and that tricky spread option offense? Who honestly expected them not to give up, say, 553 yards to Houston, the nation's No. 1-rated offense?
Then again, who expected Tyson Lee to be a turnover machine? He threw only five interceptions in 260 attempts last year; this season, he has six in just 129 attempts.
And those fumbles, my goodness. Make a decision, man - either hand it off or keep it.
It's not nearly all Lee's fault, though. The defense continues to yield big plays and can't seem to get a handle on oddball offenses.
I think the MSU defense did some good things against Houston, but quarterback Case Keenum pretty much did what he wanted aside from two interceptions.
We can certainly forget about a bowl game. Linebacker Jamar Chaney was saying something after the game about getting to Atlanta, which at least gave me hope that I've still got a shot with Liv Tyler.
Keeping perspective
This season wasn't ever going to be about winning. Dan Mullen, the ambitious 37-year old head coach, would never say that. But we all knew this was about installing a scheme and a mindset, and that part is actually going pretty well.
It's going so well, it's got us thinking that MSU has been a disappointment the past three weeks. The mere fact that the Bulldogs could, if not for all those turnovers, be 5-1 right now is hard to fathom.
Be honest: Who expected MSU to lose these last three by a combined total of only 22 points? Not me.
So there is progress being made. Learning experiences have abounded.
Nevertheless, the way MSU is losing is beyond frustrating for these players and coaches. You hate seeing Chaney's and Brandon McRae's and Anthony Dixon's senior years end in November.
They deserve better, given what they'd suffered through and the heart they've shown this season.
So I guess it's hard to be hard on this bunch. It's notable that after Houston went ahead 31-17, MSU came right back and scored and, if it had recovered the onside kick, could've theoretically tied up the game.
One of these days, we'll have a good reason to jump on the Bulldogs' case when they lose this way. Until then, we just have to remember that this is the pain that comes before the gain.
by Brad Locke/NEMS Daily Journal
5 hrs ago | 60 views | 0 | 2 | |
Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon (24) dives into the end zone over Houston defenders Nick Saenz, below and Jamal Robinson (32) during their an NCAA college football game in Starkville. The touchdown was called back for a holding penalty. Houston won 31-24. (AP Photo Jim Lytle)
STARKVILLE - I keep going back and forth.
Should I be hard on this Mississippi State team for basically gifting three consecutive wins to its visitors? For committing so many turnovers? For crumbling under the pressure of the fourth quarter?
Or should I focus on the fact that this is a young team with a young coach trying to master a new spread offense? And really, the offense is playing lights out compared to last year.
Heck, if MSU scores 18 points next week against Middle Tennessee State - a high probability - it will equal last season's entire point output. That would put State on pace to almost double last season's total.
Perhaps it's easy to be hard on the Bulldogs because they've played above their heads.
Who actually thought they'd have a chance against LSU? Who really thought they'd beat Georgia Tech and that tricky spread option offense? Who honestly expected them not to give up, say, 553 yards to Houston, the nation's No. 1-rated offense?
Then again, who expected Tyson Lee to be a turnover machine? He threw only five interceptions in 260 attempts last year; this season, he has six in just 129 attempts.
And those fumbles, my goodness. Make a decision, man - either hand it off or keep it.
It's not nearly all Lee's fault, though. The defense continues to yield big plays and can't seem to get a handle on oddball offenses.
I think the MSU defense did some good things against Houston, but quarterback Case Keenum pretty much did what he wanted aside from two interceptions.
We can certainly forget about a bowl game. Linebacker Jamar Chaney was saying something after the game about getting to Atlanta, which at least gave me hope that I've still got a shot with Liv Tyler.
Keeping perspective
This season wasn't ever going to be about winning. Dan Mullen, the ambitious 37-year old head coach, would never say that. But we all knew this was about installing a scheme and a mindset, and that part is actually going pretty well.
It's going so well, it's got us thinking that MSU has been a disappointment the past three weeks. The mere fact that the Bulldogs could, if not for all those turnovers, be 5-1 right now is hard to fathom.
Be honest: Who expected MSU to lose these last three by a combined total of only 22 points? Not me.
So there is progress being made. Learning experiences have abounded.
Nevertheless, the way MSU is losing is beyond frustrating for these players and coaches. You hate seeing Chaney's and Brandon McRae's and Anthony Dixon's senior years end in November.
They deserve better, given what they'd suffered through and the heart they've shown this season.
So I guess it's hard to be hard on this bunch. It's notable that after Houston went ahead 31-17, MSU came right back and scored and, if it had recovered the onside kick, could've theoretically tied up the game.
One of these days, we'll have a good reason to jump on the Bulldogs' case when they lose this way. Until then, we just have to remember that this is the pain that comes before the gain.