Blake Shapen, Bulldogs get back to work

It was a disappointing evening for every person tied to Mississippi State football last Saturday as the Bulldogs dropped a heartbreaking 41-34 decision in overtime against Tennessee.

No one was more disappointed than starting quarterback Blake Shapen as his 4^th and goal pass in the end zone fell incomplete to end the chance of the top 15 upset. Shapen has since reviewed the film and gone back to work as the Bulldogs (4-1, 0-1 SEC) try to find their first SEC win.

This week, the starting QB and his teammates have to regroup and head to College Station, Texas to take on the No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies (4-0, 1-0 SEC). Shapen discussed that matchup and also looked back on the issues his team had keeping it from finding a way to beat UT.

Question: When you watched the film, what did you see?  

Shapen: “Execution, it comes down to that and the small details of the game. Whether it’s with the receiver, me, offensive line or whatever it is, we’ve got to execute better. I like the way that we fought. Didn’t matter the score of the game, how the game was going – we continued to fight. That was the biggest takeaway that I had, but we have to execute better for sure.”

Q: You were in a similar situation as the Arizona State where you had the ball with a chance to go win the game. What were your thoughts on how that played out?

Shapen: “The first play, trying to get a completion to start the drive off. We had three timeouts so we had a lot of time to go make plays and things like that. It comes down to detail of the game, splits and me making the right decisions. Obviously, we knew that the game could come down to a 2-minute situation. Being in that situation before definitely created a sense of urgency for our guys who understood what it took. We needed a field goal in that situation and we’ve got to find a way to go down and score or kick a field goal.”

Q: What’s the process for you resetting?

Shapen: “It’s tough, obviously. That whole game, I felt like there was no shot we were going to lose that game. We felt like we had control the whole game, even whenever they were able to go up on us and we were able to counter with a score, there was no doubt in my mind we weren’t going to win that game. I think that was the most shocking part there in the end when we did lose. We were in the game and made too many mistakes prior to even be in it. The fact we were still playing with a top team in the country shows how good we can really be when we’re all on the same page.”

Q: What did you learn from the game and how do you feel you measure up in the conference?

Shapen: “I think it shoed that we can compete with any team in the country. Y’all saw it – we never gave up no matter what it was. We’ve just got to clean up some mistakes. We’ve got to get better and it starts with me. I’ve got to lead the guys better offensively. But I think y’all see the fight in our team. The fight with the coaches and players and everybody the want to win is there for sure. We’ve just got to clean up the mistakes.”

Q: Tennessee took the momentum so many times but you guys responded. Where does that come from with your team?

Shapen: “I think it starts with the belief of our team. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, where we’re playing, I feel like the belief of our team is major. The momentum of the game is a huge part of the game. When you can catch it and when you can get. We had two plays offensively that turned into (defensive) touchdowns and those are huge momentum drives in the game. We were able to still counter back and be able to put points on the board. Which I don’t think a lot of teams can say they can do just because of the momentum of the game. I think that starts with us believing in our coaches and the players that we’ve got.”

Q: What are you looking for when you get ready to check the plays pre snap?

Shapen: “I think it depends on the play. If you have an RPO called: looking at the box, seeing how many guys are in the box, who I’m keying, who’s the tightest fit defender. Then you’ve got the play action game where you’re putting your eyes on one guy to tell you the whole story. It depends on what play it is, what category it goes in. You look at the last game, they were taking away the RPO the whole game. They were stacking the safety over the slot the whole game and having a real light box. We were able to run the football real well. Just have to find a way to put the ball on the perimeter and get the ball in the playmaker’s hands.”

Q: What’s your first impressions on Texas A&M?

Shapen: “I haven’t gotten too far into A&M yet. I’ll start watching (Monday). But mainly four down (linemen) and single-high pictures. We might go into the game and we’ve looked at film all week and the first play might be something completely different. You’ve got to be aware of that.”

Q: What are some things you can do to help pass protection?

Shapen: “Every week we go in with a plan whether it’s a three-down picture or four-down. I have the ability to flip protection and get them in the best protection possible and sometimes get the back out. I have control over that, but the center – depending on the play – he can flip it too.”

Q: We saw Brenen Thompson go down early in the game. When he’s not on the field, how does that change things?

Shapen: “It’s tough, especially when you lose one of your best receivers. We’ve got to find ways to create momentum. Whoever comes in, it’s the next guy up. Obviously, it’s frustrating when your best guy is out of the game but you have to find a way to keep playing our type of offense and move the ball down the field.”