Cowbell Corner

What Went Wrong For Mississippi State Against Florida?

Some old, bad habits reappeared against Florida, but injuries may be cause for greatest concern

Taylor Hodges

Florida Gators running back Ja'Kobi Jackson (24) celebrates with teammates after a touchdown against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field.
Florida Gators running back Ja'Kobi Jackson (24) celebrates with teammates after a touchdown against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. / Matt Bush-Imagn Images
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STARKVILLE, Miss. – For a second-straight week, Mississippi State failed to give its fans much of a reason to stay at Davis Wade Stadium for the entire game.

The Bulldogs lost to Florida 45-28 and even though the game was somewhat competitive at points, the Bulldogs never led and never got closer than seven points to the Gators.

A lot of things that went wrong for the Bulldogs are things that showed up in the losses to Arizona State and Toledo. But there’s another issue that’s new.

Quarterback Blake Shapen and safety Issac Smith, who entered Saturday’s game leading the FBS in tackles, left the game early because of injuries. Coach Jeff Lebby usually doesn’t discuss too many details when it comes to injuries, so we’ll have to wait and see how serious each of their injuries are.

But with Texas next on the docket, the Bulldogs need two of their best players.

Here’s what went wrong for Mississippi State against Florida:

Mississippi State Offense: What went wrong?

Penalties. One of the key themes in each of Mississippi State’s losses is the penalties and negative plays putting the offense behind the chains. It happened again versus Florida. Perhaps the most impactful was a first down holding penalty following the Bulldogs’ defense forcing a turnover. The Bulldogs gained just three yards following the penalty and punted the ball back to Florida who promptly drove down the field and scored a touchdown.

Mississippi State Defense: What Went Wrong?

Tackling. Once again, another theme from the last weeks carries over to Week 4. The Bulldogs lived up to their reputation as the 122nd ranked rush defense, allowing the Gators to gain 226 rushing yards and averaging 6.3 ypc. And, yes, there were more than a handful of missed tackles. (To be fair, the Gators lived up to their reputation as the 101st ranked rush defense, but that’s for the “What Went Right” column.)

Mississippi State Special Teams: What Went Wrong?

A 24-yard punt. Maybe referring to Nick Barr-Mira as a secret weapon jinxed him. Either way, he shanked a punt that gave Florida a short field to travel, which it did and scored a touchdown to a Florida touchdown.

Read More:

Florida Hands Mississippi State Third-Straight Loss, 45-28

ESPN’s Joey Galloway Delivers Harsh Verdict on Mississippi State

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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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