Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State Crumbles in the Trenches: What Went Wrong Against Arizona State?

Bulldogs overpowered by Sun Devils on both sides of the ball in first loss of Jeff Lebby's tenure in Starkville

Taylor Hodges

Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby reacts against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first half at Mountain America Stadium.
Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby reacts against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first half at Mountain America Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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TEMPE, Ariz. – The SEC is synonymous with toughness and dominant linemen in the trenches, but Mississippi State didn’t live up to that reputation.

In a way, there is something poetic about Arizona State’s 30-23 victory.

The Sun Devils won their first-ever game against an SEC program in the most SEC way possible: dominating the trenches. The Sun Devils ran for 346 yards and held Mississippi State to 24.

Unfortunately for Mississippi State fans, there’s no shortage of things that went wrong. Here are the biggest:

Mississippi State’s Offense: What Went Wrong?

Pre-snap formations. The offense found its groove in the second half, but something was off in the first half. Maybe it was the heat (doubtful). Maybe it was the loud crowd (probably). Whatever it was, there were too many plays where players didn’t seem to know where to line up. That led to a lot of frantic pre-snap movement and anyone who has rushed a task knows how it can throw you off.

Mississippi State’s Defense: What Went Wrong?

Stopping the run. Sun Devils' quarterback Sam Leavitt threw the ball just 20 times for 69 yards. In today’s era, that’s rare. But when a team runs the ball like the Sun Devils were, you don’t need to pass.

The Sun Devils had their way with Mississippi State’s three-man defensive front, averaging nearly 10 yards per run. They even managed to convert a third-and-10 late in the second quarter with a run up the middle.

Visually, from a size standpoint, the Sun Devils looked bigger, which was only magnified by the three down linemen the Bulldogs had.

Mississippi State’s Special Teams: What Went Wrong?

Missed PAT. Every point matters when attempting a 27-point comeback. So, Kyle Ferrie shakning his second extra-point attempt wide right definitely didn’t help the situation.

TV Broadcast (Bonus): What Went Wrong?

Coverage of the heat. The sideline reporter wearing a dress shirt with sleeves cutoff was probably a hit in the stadium. But the broadcast then did the cliché “it’s so hot you could fry an egg outside.” First, horrible egg crack, the egg yolk was broken. Second, they didn’t even show the egg cooking. What was the point?

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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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