2017 Mississippi State Football Preview

SEC football is just days away. Before toe meets pigskin on August 31st, The Wheelhouse crew has compiled our preseason SEC power rankings and a preview of each team. As we release our team previews, we’ll release them in the order of which each team is ranked in our preseason rankings to help the days until kickoff go by quicker.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs check in at №. 12 in our preseason SEC Power Rankings.
2016 season recap:
Last season for Mississippi State was nothing short of confusing and disappointing. To start the season off, the Bulldogs gave up 14 unanswered points to South Alabama in a 21–20 loss. That same team turned around and beat fellow SEC opponent South Carolina just one week later 27–14. The next week, the confusion continued when Mississippi State gave up five touchdowns to UMass at home in a close 47–35 win. The Bulldogs’ defense continued to struggle as they dropped three straight games against Auburn, BYU and Kentucky (all while giving up a total of 87 points).
The offense, and specifically quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, seemed to always carry State, but their struggles on defense could not be overcome. Their defense gave up 41 to Samford in a win and then they shocked the world again when they beat №. 7 ranked Texas A&M. The win over the Aggies shows how lethal the Bulldogs were when the defense showed up to play. Over the next two games, they took beatings from Alabama and Arkansas by a combined score of 109–45.
The season did end on a high note when Mississippi State defeated Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl and received a bowl bid despite their 5–7 record because of their good grades.
Offensive Preview:
The whole offense begins and ends with one man: Nick Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is easily one of the more underappreciated quarterbacks in the SEC. Last year he led the Bulldogs in both passing (2,423 yards, 21 touchdowns) and rushing (1,375 yards, 16 touchdowns). In 2016 the Bulldogs ranked №. 44 in the nation in total offense, averaging over 450 total yards of offense per game.
Aeris Williams is returning at running back for State, while backup Nick Gibson never really received any reps in his redshirt freshman campaign. As for the receivers, the Bulldogs are iffy. They lost their leader in receptions and receiving yards, Fred Ross, and are looking for another go-to for Fitzgerald. The next best option is senior Donald Gray who had over 700 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season. Behind him will be Keith Mixon and Jamal Couch who combined for 219 receiving yards in 2016. Malik Dear would be the obvious second option, but a torn ACL will sideline him for the season. Tight ends Farrod Green and Justin Johnson could play bigger roles in the passing game if the wide receivers fall behind.
The offensive line is the most complicated part of this Mississippi State team. They were awful at times last year and very inconsistent. After losing three starters from last year, it is difficult to say how they will respond. Center Deion Calhoun along with guards Elgton Jenkins and Martinas Rankin are the only returning players that started in 2016. Head coach Dan Mullen and offensive line coach John Hevesy will surely switch up the rotation to piece together the best line for the 2017 season.
Defensive Preview:
Last season the Bulldogs were tied for 108th in the nation in total defense, so long story short, they have a ton of work ahead of them as the season approaches. Todd Grantham, who formerly was defensive coordinator for Louisville and Georgia, will be the team’s new defensive coordinator in 2017.
On the plus side for Grantham, three of the top four leading tacklers on defense from last year are returning: Leo Lewis, J.T. Gray and Brandon Bryant. The defensive line will see many three-and-four man sets under Grantham with Jeffery Simmons being the perfect man to anchor down the middle. Two junior college transfers, Chauncey Rivers and Montez Sweat, may be looking at getting time on the defensive line with Simmons. The linebacker core will really help make the front seven dangerous, especially if Gray sticks with the linebackers instead of playing in a hybrid role. Lewis and Gray together form a lethal hitting combination, really setting up the front seven for the Bulldogs.
The secondary is easily the biggest problem for Mississippi State and was the reason for their lackluster performance last season. They return veteran safeties in Bryant and McLaurin and are fairly deep at cornerback this season. Jamal Peters will return from 2016 and Tolando Cleveland will be back after missing all of last season with a torn ACL. Redshirt freshman Cameron Dantzler and senior Lashard Durr will round out the cornerback position for the Bulldogs. The defense shows promise, especially with a new coordinator and a solid front seven, but they can not continue to be the weak side of this Mississippi State team if they want real success.
Special Teams Preview:
Keith Mixon has the most experience as a returner for the Bulldogs as he registered 277 returning yards last season. Malik Dear and Donald Gray both had some touches as returner last season as well. However, it is reported that Mixon and Gray will be the starting punt and kick returners. Kicker is a blurry position for Mississippi State since Westin Graves retired from football. It is still unknown who exactly will start game one for them. Punter Logan Cooke returns from last season after punting for 1,760 yards. Overall the special teams is solid, but finding a kicker is on the top of the Bulldogs’ list.
Newcomers who will make a difference:
The majority of the defensive line from last year has moved on, so transfers Chauncey Rivers and Montez Sweat look to step up and make a difference. Rivers, who you may remember from Last Chance U, formerly played at Georgia and Sweat played at Michigan State. Both of these players have experience in football at its highest level in the NCAA and may very well receive solid playing time with the departures from last season.
Keys to a successful season:
The glaring place they need help at is offensive line. Fitzgerald may be able to make plays with his legs, but without their help, the running backs will be helpless. Another place the Bulldogs will need to step up at is their secondary as they were absolutely grilled last season. The front seven was consistent last season, but the secondary continued to be their downfall. If Mississippi State can manage to play consistently in those two areas they may have a decent season, even in the daunting SEC West.
Final Say:
By no means is anyone expecting the Bulldogs to make a huge impact in the SEC, but Dan Mullen has proven people wrong many times. If they manage to find consistent play on defense, specifically within the secondary, the offense will take care of the rest. Fitzgerald will surely struggle behind the patchy offensive line they have, but he made it work last season. Don’t expect too much from the maroon and white this season, but also don’t deny their history of throwing a wrench in the plans of the SEC West either.
