Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State's Loss to Toledo: Why It’s Too Early to Panic in Starkville

Losing to Toledo wasn't what many people other than Nick Saban expected, the sky isn't falling in Starkville after just three games

Taylor Hodges

A Mississippi State Bulldogs fan reacts after a play during the second quarter of the game against the Toledo Rockets at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field.
A Mississippi State Bulldogs fan reacts after a play during the second quarter of the game against the Toledo Rockets at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. / Matt Bush-Imagn Images
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STARKVILLE, Miss. – A lot will be said in the coming days about Mississippi State’s upset loss to Toledo. Some of it will be warranted. Some of it won’t be. A lot of it will be harsh.

It’s important to keep a few things in mind, though. First off, the sky’s not falling in Starkville.

We’re three games into a new season featuring a new coach and coaching staff (except for one assistant coach), an offense with all new starters, and a defense with only a handful of returning starters. With all things new, there are growing pains and sometimes those pains hurt more than others.

It takes time for teams to gel and become a unit. The Bulldogs just need their cheesy, sports movie cliché “come together moment.”

Toledo just showed why having some continuity from year-to-year will matter. Rockets’ quarterback Tucker Gleason has played all four seasons of his career at Toledo and eight defensive starters are in their sixth seasons.

It’ll take more than one offseason that included a limited high school recruiting time for coach Jeff Lebby to bring in the right players. Players will come and go each year, but some will stay and that’s where the continuity will come from.

Second, there will be a lot of criticism of Lebby and his inexperience. Not just this week, but all season. He’s an easy target for fans’ to point a finger at, not just because he’s the head coach but because he’s never been a head coach before.

There have been mistakes (choosing to go for a touchdown instead of kicking a field goal at the end of the first half against Toledo) and there will be more. The easy thing to say will be “he’s not cut out for this” or some variation of that based on these mistakes.

But everyone makes mistakes in a new job and we learn from those mistakes and get better. Lebby will get better and so will the Bulldogs.

So, give Mississippi State’s coaches and players more than three games before checking to see if the sky is falling in Starkville.

Read More:

Jeff Lebby Reacts to Mississippi State's Shocking Loss to Toledo

Mississippi State Suffers Embarrassing Home Loss to Toledo

Mississippi State Shocked By Toledo: What Went Wrong For the Bulldogs?

Mississippi State Stunned by Toledo: Bulldogs Stumble Ahead of SEC Play

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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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