Three Areas For Improvement from Mississippi State’s Week 1, 48-7 Victory Over Southeastern Louisiana

Despite the ultimately dominant win, Mississippi State football showed some areas to get better in during Week 1.

Mississippi State looked impressive in its opening game against Southeastern Louisiana, sputtering at first offensively, then powering their way to a 48-7 victory.

There are plenty of positive takeaways from the contest, including the improved run game and more diverse running packages. The positive also comes with the negative, and a dominant win does not mean a clean win. 

Here's a look into three focused areas of improvement could turn MSU from a good team to a great one:

1. Improvement in the secondary.

With the departure of Emmanuel Forbes, one of the main question marks surrounding the Bulldogs concerned their secondary. Short and quick passes are one of the reasons the Lions were able to move downfield effectively and allowed them to score their first and only touchdown. It is the first game of the season so some of these mistakes will be ironed out, but it is something to keep an eye on against Power Five teams to keep the opposing passing game at bay.

2. Starting quicker on the offensive line.

While MSU played well overall against its FCS opponent against the FCS conference winners, the offensive line played below its capabilities. 

The offensive attack consisted of more running plays compared to previous years and this allowed the line to show off their strength and power against the Lions. Starting fast is key to unlocking the offensive capability by establishing dominance in the trenches. Mike Wright broke off for a 53-yard gain and Woody Marks ran for 127 yards once the line started to control the game.

3. Coach's Standpoint: Use the play clock more effectively

After the opening game of the season, Mississippi State looks to be run-based and short-pass-based offense. With this play style, using the clock should also be a priority when it comes to taking advantage of all aspects of the game. Getting to the line quickly just wastes the potential of wearing down the opponent and tiring them out. In the second half, this method was used effectively to allow more chunk run plays that were gained.