Disappointing!

That's all I can come up with after this game. This team certainly knows how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. There were a lot of good things that came out of this game today, but it is just so disappointing to have a chance to win this game at the end and to come away empty.

Football is a game of inches, and this game came down to four inches. When Mississippi State had the ball with four inches to go for a touchdown on third down, I was just hoping that they would not try to outsmart themselves. Then, they did just that. They tried to outsmart the defense and ultimately ended up outsmarting themselves. I know the pass to the tight end was open, but you are asking a 5'8" quarterback that is very prone to having his passes knocked down at the line of scrimmage to throw that pass. I wonder if Tyson knows how to put any touch on the ball? Anyway, what I cannot figure out is why they didn't give the ball to their bell cow in that situation. They have a 6'1", 235 lbs horse in the backfield, and he doesn't touch the ball on either play with four inches to go for a TD. It just disappoints me that they didn't get the ball into the hands of their best player with a chance to win the game. I hope Dan Mullen realizes his mistake, because it is obvious that you cannot count on Tyson Lee to win a game for you.

The good that came out of this game:

1. The defense played their guts out. They gave up some big plays in the passing game, but they have done a much better job of defending against the run since the Auburn game. I think LSU converted only 3 third down plays during the entire game.

2. The offensive line is getting better, and the running game is really picking up despite a non existent passing game. This group is young and will return essentially intact next year.

3. This team is very competitive. LSU has much more talent than MSU, but MSU did not let that get them down. To steal a phrase from Coach Mullen, this team plays with relentless effort on every snap.

The bad:

1. We might as well face the facts. With Tyler Russell not being ready to play, we have no quarterback. There's an old saying that is used in the pros: When you have two quarterbacks, you don't have one. I think that fits. Tyson Lee plays his heart out, but he's too small and makes too many mistakes when he's on the field. He would probably be an All American at the Divison 2 level, but there is a reason he was a walk on in the SEC. My personal opinion is that Chris Relf's running brings more to the game than Tyson Lee's passing, and at this point, I would be playing Relf as the starter or I would put Russell out there. We are not going to win many games with Tyson Lee at quarterback.

2. Our secondary stinks in coverage. When we play a team that has a legitimate passing game (and we have yet to play a legit passing team), we are going to be in trouble defensively. The team the frightens me the most right now is Houston. The way they throw the ball, they may get 400-500 passing yards on our defense unless we get some intense pressure on the quarterback.

Overall, despite my disappointment, I feel pretty good about the up coming game against Georgia Tech. If we play the run the way we played against LSU today, we have a legitimate chance of beating Georgia Tech. We will have to play assignment football on defense, which we didn't do a good job of against Auburn and their running attack, but Georgia Tech. is a beatable team.

The last thing I want to add here is this. The quarterback from Blinn JC Cameron Newton may be the most important recruit for Mississippi State in the history of this program. If we get him, combined with what we will have coming back, we will be in great shape for 2010.

MSU 45, Jackson State 7

Dan Mullen opened his head coaching career in style with a 45-7 win over Jackson State. Many people will mock this win though saying that anyone would have beaten Jackson State like that. However, this is the type of game MSU has struggled to win like they are supposed to over the past 8 years. Remember the game against Maine in 2004? Or how about Troy State in 2003? Those are games that should have been won in commanding fashion that MSU lost. So, while the competition wasn't the best, the fact that MSU won this game in commanding fashion is a good sign.

With that said, there are clearly some things that need to be tightened up. It's hard to win in the SEC when you commit 12 penalties during the course of the game. The offensive line has not been tested, and I felt like we had too many negative rushing plays against a defensive front seven that we should have overwhelmed. Also, the kicking game continues to be an issue with Sean Brachule missing a 32 yard FG attempt and a 38 yard FG attempt. The first half started out very sloppy, and I have a feeling that Dan Mullen peeled some paint off the walls at half time. His team responded in the second half with 21 third quarter points.

The good is that MSU won the game in dominating fashion. Defensively, they got consistent pressure on the quarterback. Offensively, MSU ran the ball to the tune of 238 yards rushing without their top running back playing. Chris Relf looked solid playing in the dual quarterback role. He ran the ball well and was efficient with his passing. The guy looks like he could be a solid quarterback. I think they need to work on his accuracy some, but he's missing high and long when he misses. He didn't even come close to throwing an interception in this game. He threw three touchdown passes and ran for another. His running is what may ultimately make him the #1 guy before the year is over. He had 82 yards on 12 rushes in this game, leading the team.

Robert Elliot looked very good as well. MSU has a stable of running backs though, so expect a stark contrast to the way they have played in the past. Anthony Dixon, Christian Ducre, Arnil Stallworth, and Robert Elliot will all get carries this season, and you probably will not see any of them get more than 15 a game.

Two true freshmen really stood out. Chad Bumphis caught two passes in his first game, and both were touchdowns. Fletcher Cox looks like a beast out there and showed dominant ability against Jackson State's offensive line. Both of these guys are going to be special players. Brandon Heavens looks like he will be a very good player for this team as well.

KJ Wright and Charles Mitchell stepped up as well. KJ forced a fumble, which is something I feel he needs to continue doing. He's a star linebacker and needs to start making plays like that to validate his status. Charles Mitchell looks like a stud safety and a future NFL player at that position.

Overall, I feel good about the first game. Auburn will be a test next week. I was not that impressed with their offense last night, but their defense was fast. It will be a test, but I do feel MSU can come out on top. Let's get our dinged up guys healed and get ready to do something else we have struggled to do.....win an SEC game on the road.