Cowbell Corner

What Went Right and What Went Wrong for Mississippi State vs. EKU

There’s plenty of things to like about the Bulldogs’ season-opening win, but also some concerns for future games against SEC teams

Taylor Hodges

Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby reacts during the first quarter of the game against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field.
Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby reacts during the first quarter of the game against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. / Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Not even heavy rain could slow down Mississippi State’s offense Saturday night against Eastern Kentucky.

The Bulldogs’ season opening game was about as good as Jeff Lebby could’ve asked for in his head coaching debut. His fast-paced offense scored quickly and often. Blake Shapen looked great at quarterback. The defense held the Colonels to just seven points and only two trips across the 50-yard line. And a junior receiver named Kevin Coleman made a big splash in his first game in maroon and white.

There’s a lot to like about Mississippi State’s performance Saturday night and fans have every reason to be optimistic. But everything good should be taken with a grain salt. This isn’t meant to diminish the Bulldogs’ win, but anything less against an out-matched FSC team would’ve been a cause for concern. Next week’s game at Arizona State will give us a better idea of how good the Bulldogs can be.

Based on his comments in his post-game press conference, Lebby knows there are plenty of things to work on after Saturday night's win. You can watch Lebby's entire press conference here:

For now, let’s take a look at what went right and what went wrong for Mississippi State against EKU.

Mississippi State Offense

What went right?

Fast-paced offense. Everyone knew Lebby would deploy an offense that’s base speed would be fast and furious (pun entirely intended) and the Bulldogs did not disappoint. MSU’s first five scoring drives lasted a combined 5 minutes, 13 seconds. In that time, the Bulldogs ran 19 plays and gained 250 yards. The lone outlier was a 10-play, 65-yard touchdown drive early in the third quarter when MSU already had a 35 point lead. That’s the pace at which we can expect to see for the remainder of the season. And possibly a few more trick plays.

Blake Shapen. Fellow staff writer Jacob Bain already highlighted Shapen's debut performance and there isn't much else to add. His touchdown run in the first quarter is one of the best examples of a bad play turning into a good one.

"That wasn't really intended for me to run the ball right there. It was a bad read by me and I tried to make a play. I wasn't supposed to run the ball, I was supposed to hand the ball off."

- Blake Shapen on his 4-yard touchdown run

The television broadcast showed Lebby having a one-sided conversation with Shapen on the sideline after the touchdown run, so it was clear something went wrong on the play. And while Lebby would probably rather he didn't make more mistakes like that in the future, MSU fans won't complain if those mistakes end with six points added onto the scoreboard.

Kevin Coleman Jr. That is one of the most impressive debut performances I’ve seen. Or maybe electrifying is the better adjective to use. Either way, whenever he touched the ball against EKU good things happened. His punt return exploits will be covered later, but he was just as exciting to watch as receiver. The transfer from Louisville caught five passes for 88 yards and one touchdown. That’s an average of 17.6 yards per catch (which was second on the team, too), but one of his five catches will make every YouTube highlight reel.

What went wrong?

Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Johnnie Daniels loses the ball as he is tackled by an Eastern Kentucky defender.
Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Johnnie Daniels loses the ball as he is tackled by Eastern Kentucky Colonels defensive back Mike Smith Jr. during the first quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. / Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Ball security. MSU was never in any real danger of losing to EKU. But there was a moment in the first quarter where, if an upset was going to happen, it would start there.

MSU led 14-0 in the first quarter but had two offensive fumbles (there was also a third fumble later in the game). The Bulldogs got a couple lucky bounces on those fumbles and were able to recover both. But what if they hadn’t? What if those fumbles were recovered by EKU? The Colonels probably don’t take advantage and score (based on how MSU defense played), but Texas might. Georgia might. Ole Miss might.

"The ball was on the ground too many times. We have to understand there's a very fine line of being on the right side and wrong side of these things."

- Jeff Lebby on first half fumbles

Mississippi State Defense

What went right?

Pretty much everything except for one drive. It became obvious early on EKU was outmatched against the Bulldogs and it wasn’t more evident than when the Bulldogs’ defense was on the field. MSU’s defensive line was able to control the line of scrimmage for much of the game and rarely did EKU quarterback Matt Morrissey not have an oncoming defender as he threw the ball.

What went wrong?

Final drive of first half. As previously mentioned, the MSU defense looked good against their FCS opponent with the exception of one drive. The Colonels’ only scoring drive of the night came on a two minute drill that highlighted EKU quarterback Matt Morrissey’s accuracy. He managed to find an open receiver in the end zone on a nine-yard slant route. And the Bulldogs can’t really use the no huddle offense as an excuse considering the offense they face in practice.


"Defensively, we did some great things," Lebby said. "At times they had some drives going and we got off the field. The only drive we want back is the one before halftime."

Sure, in the grand scheme of things the touchdown didn’t impact the game much. But keep in mind, mistakes like this against an FCS team is one thing. It’s a whole other thing against an SEC team.

Mississippi State Special Teams

What went right?

Punt returns. As previously mentioned, Coleman exploded onto the scene with his performance Saturday night. The former SWAC Freshman of the Year (2022) first made an impact in the game returning punts. His first punt was returned for 32 yards and ended the night with 117 total return yards.

It's also worth pointing out the punt return unit can block punts, too. JP Purvis blocked a punt in the fourth quarter that was recovered in the end zone by Mario Craver. Never hurts to put the threat of a blocked punt into an opposing coach's mind.

What went wrong?

Missed field goal. Rain or no rain, you have to execute the most basic things in the SEC if you want to win. Early in the fourth quarter, Kyle Ferrie missed a 25-yard field goal through no fault of his own. The snap was low and wobbly and the holder couldn’t corral the ball, resulting in a shanked kick. It’s not the end of the world and really didn’t have an impact on Saturday’s game. But plays like could be huge later in the season. Fortunately, it appears Lebby has a similar mindset.

"We get down there in the second half and don’t score and end up botching the field goal…those are things to me that are incredible teaching moments for us to understand we got to play better, play cleaner," Lebby said. "The expectation is when we get down there, we score touchdowns."

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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