Things that concern me after the LSU game..

[DAWGS1.sixpack]

That I've seen no one discuss are...
LSU had one if not two TD's in the first half overturned due to a penalty.
Had one dropped ball over the middle where receiver was behind our D that could have been a TD.
They had one DL starter out of the game due to injury, one DL starter go out with a hand injury, one DE that was playing less than 100% and 2 D lineman go out early in the 3rd quarter bc of targeting penalties. That's 4 D starters out and one less than full speed.
I know all of this is part of the game and luck is needed to win a few but GA isn't going to have 11-12 penalties, and most likely aren't going to have 4-5 Defensive players out of the game or slowed by an injury.
We have the components to win this game but on the road, in the SEC, at night with a fairly young team... We are going to have to play great in all 3 phases to win this game.
And have a little luck go our way as well.

 

[MSUDC11]

Georgia is better than LSU, I don't doubt that. But even if we wouldn't have gotten some of the breaks we got on Saturday, we still win that game by at least two touchdowns.

We aren't without flaws, but I'm sure Mullen and Grantham are aware of the things we can still be better at. And those two have been incredible at making adjustments so far this season. They've certainly earned my trust.

I look at it this way: we had to get one win out of this three game stretch and we already have it. So anything else is just gravy. That being said, we are good enough to win both of these games.

 

[ShrubDog]

Georgia had 12 penalties for 127 yards against Notre Dame.

Im not following your penalty statement.

 

[tatedog]

I almost hesitate to type this but Dan needs to call a super conservative game early to let Fitz get the homecoming excitement out of his system and settle down. We aren't going to win this game in the first quarter but we can do a lot to make it hard on ourselves to win like at Bama in 14.

 

[Rockydawg]

Perusing the Georgia message boards, many still seem to think that we are going to be an easy W for them. We just played a really terrible LSU team. GOOOOOOD.... Let them keep thinking that.

 

[The Usual Suspect]

Some of those dumb type penalties were caused by frustration of getting their butts whipped.

 

[PubDawg]

Perusing the Georgia message boards, many still seem to think that we are going to be an easy W for them. We just played a really terrible LSU team. GOOOOOOD.... Let them keep thinking that.

Every coonass, I mean LSU fan thought they were gonna stomp us all week. I feel like there's some magic in this team, much like our men's final four team back in the day. We need to keep having folks have a "bad game,"and a few busted plays, and we can get 8-9 wins.
This team could be really special y'all.

 

[kendesu]

Georgia is good, and we're playing on the road. It will be a tough game. Both teams run the ball and stop the run well. I think that will be a good indicator of who is winning the game: rushing yards. One thing that I think is in our favor is the passing game. Georgia is last in the SEC in passing yards and we're 2nd in passing yards allowed. Getting them in 3rd down passing situations will be huge.

 

[JackShephard]

8 wins is not a special season. 9 really isn't. Especially considering where we are at now, and what the rest of the SEC looks like. I think we can play pretty average and get to 8.

But I do agree this team could be really special (like 10-2 or 11-1). We will find out a lot Saturday though.

 

[QuaoarsKing]

8 wins is a huge disappointment at this point. 9 at least isn't "special."

 

[aTotal360]

...and acid rain.

 

[BigMotherTucker]

A) Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine today?? Jesus...
B)

We are going to have to play great in all 3 phases to win this game.
And have a little luck go our way as well.

This can be said about any road game in the SEC.

C) The two TDs you referenced that got called back due to penalty were only TDs BECAUSE of penalty. Soooo... I'm not sure what the point was there.

 

[BulldogBlitz]

A) Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine today?? Jesus.

Yes.

 

[AssEndDawg]

WTF is this "Georgia is really good" ********. Is this not the same Georgia who has CONSTANTLY dissapointed for like the past 20 years? Not only that, they are SEC East! I'm tired of everyone still acting like Georgia is relevant in the national picture. The money is so high in the SEC that the rich/poor gap is really non-existent. I think we whip Georgia's *** Saturday and if we don't it's because Fitz got in his own head playing back in his home state.

 

[johnson86-1]

Georgia is good, and we're playing on the road. It will be a tough game. Both teams run the ball and stop the run well. I think that will be a good indicator of who is winning the game: rushing yards. One thing that I think is in our favor is the passing game. Georgia is last in the SEC in passing yards and we're 2nd in passing yards allowed. Getting them in 3rd down passing situations will be huge.

I'm not sure that means anything yet. Our biggest question mark on D was CBs. Basically we know we're good enough that Etling can't beat us, but it's still possible that we will be susceptible to good qbs behind an OL that can at least slow down our pass rush.

I think we are going to end up being good against the pass, partly because our front 7 are so disruptive, but I don't know that stats this early in the season against an FCS team, La Tech, and an Etling led LSU answer the question of whether our CBs can hold their own against a good passing attack.

 

[KurtRambis4]

We were

running it down their throat long before the 2 cats were ejected.

I didnt see anything that concerned me, Saturday. That was the most thorough, complete, and dominant performance I've ever seen by us.

 

[Msubulldogfan1]

running it down their throat long before the 2 cats were ejected.

I didnt see anything that concerned me, Saturday. That was the most thorough, complete, and dominant performance I've ever seen by us.

Exactly. How in the world anybody can be concerned about anything after thumping LSU 37-7 is beyond me.

I guess the penalties during the first two drives is concerning, because if not for those, it's probably 47-7.

 

[DAWGS1.sixpack]

I'm going on my 43rd year of watching MS State football so I unfortunately know how to curb my expectations after one Win against a Top 20 team.
We've had 2 10 win seasons in that timeframe and only 5, 9 win seasons, I've also been a part of Tech and 10 and suffered thru 2003 among many other losing seasons. Just being realistic. Do I think we can have another special season of 10 wins? --- I'll tell you In two weeks.
If we continue to do what we've done so far, beating Bama at home is not out of the realm of possibility. I still want to see what they do against Vandy this week and LSU later in the year.
And the one penalty for the TD was questionable at best and probably shouldn't have been called and the 2nd targeting call was also incorrect in my opinion.
Those penalties didn't win us the ballgame but it certainly helped, especially the TD penalty.

 

[Msubulldogfan1]

Penalties are part of the game. We had two drives killed by penalties also.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

My Thoughts on some of your thoughts

Additionally Georgia is starting a freshman QB & as a result I think they will be extremely conservative.

That I've seen no one discuss are...
LSU had one if not two TD's in the first half overturned due to a penalty. One of the damned penalties was a pick that made the receiver open.
Had one dropped ball over the middle where receiver was behind our D that could have been a TD.
They had one DL starter out of the game due to injury, one DL starter go out with a hand injury, one DE that was playing less than 100% and 2 D lineman go out early in the 3rd quarter bc of targeting penalties. That's 4 D starters out and one less than full speed. Our OL line was kicking their *** & we were running roughshod over them before the injuries & DQs.
I know all of this is part of the game and luck is needed to win a few but GA isn't going to have 11-12 penalties, and most likely aren't going to have 4-5 Defensive players out of the game or slowed by an injury. Georgia had as many penalties at South Bend as LSU did in Starkville
We have the components to win this game but on the road, in the SEC, at night with a fairly young team... We are going to have to play great in all 3 phases to win this game.
And have a little luck go our way as well.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

With this defense, If Fitz plays like the LSU game and not La Tech, we win big. I have not felt this good about a defense at MSU since the JLD days. The offense has enough options that we are tough to deal with. It just depends on decision making and accuracy.

 

[BiscuitEater]

That I've seen no one discuss are... LSU MSU had ..

Starting DT out for the LSU game ..
SR WR out for the LSU game ..
the team playing the #12 team in the country BUT was the team that played with discipline and composure ..
a Head Coach that called a magnificent offensive game ..
attacking D that kept pressure on LSU offense ALL NIGHT LONG ..
OL that, despite what you may read on message boards, dominated higher rated LSU DL
FOUND A FG Kicker ..

Sincerely hope that Georgia is favored .. we play better with a chip

 

[BigMotherTucker]

Beating Bama is not our measuring stick on a successful season. If it happens, its just icing on the cake. Those guys are playing football in the 23 century while were stuck in 2017. 9 or 10 (regular season) wins is an excellent season and I feel like we have a great shot at getting to that.

 

[KurtRambis4]

You cannot

compare modern day MSU with 20, 30, 40 years ago.

Its like comparing a Model T to a Ferrari California.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Some of those dumb type penalties were caused by frustration of getting their butts whipped.

Yep. Lost in that discussion is our LACK of penalties. We did not make a rash of stupid penalties, especially on offense.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

I almost hesitate to type this but Dan needs to call a super conservative game early to let Fitz get the homecoming excitement out of his system and settle down. We aren't going to win this game in the first quarter but we can do a lot to make it hard on ourselves to win like at Bama in 14.

Funny... I was mentioning this to my wife when we were watching the LSU game. The playcalling at the start of the game was completely different than our previous two games, which allowed Fitz to ease into the game.

Smart.

 

[Wizard.sixpack]

Perusing the Georgia message boards, many still seem to think that we are going to be an easy W for them. We just played a really terrible LSU team. GOOOOOOD.... Let them keep thinking that.

They being their fans not their team. I highly doubt that is the case with the coaches and the team.

 

[Philly Dawg]

I'd suggest that the reason we lost that game was our super conservative game plan.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

running it down their throat long before the 2 cats were ejected.

I didnt see anything that concerned me, Saturday. That was the most thorough, complete, and dominant performance I've ever seen by us.

Agreed.

I feel good about our chances Saturday but even if we lose, that does not doom us to an 8 win season. There is a lot of football left to play and we have what looks like a team that can compete with anyone on our schedule.

 

[johnson86-1]

8 wins is not a special season. 9 really isn't. Especially considering where we are at now, and what the rest of the SEC looks like. I think we can play pretty average and get to 8.

But I do agree this team could be really special (like 10-2 or 11-1). We will find out a lot Saturday though.

This is the biggest opportunity Dan has had since he's been here. Best I can remember, every year before now, being second best in the West required being a borderline national championship contender. Even with UGA as one of our East games, I don't think we've had a season since Dan has gotten here where the second best team we've played wouldn't be clear favorites over Auburn and UGA. I'm not sure there's been a season where the third best team we've played wouldn't be favorites against both of them. There probably has and I just can't think of it, but there probably hasn't been more than one.

 

[Crazy Cotton]

via GIPHY

 

[Wizard.sixpack]

Things that concern me after the LSU game..

1. Your inability to enjoy a big win.

 

[msstatelp1]

and the 2nd targeting call was also incorrect in my opinion.

The second targeting call was just as valid as the first. Dude hit Fitz in the facemask with the crown of his helmet. Doesn't matter if he tripped or tried to avoid it. Any helmet to helmet contact on a defenseless player is gonna be called. Happened to us last week.

 

[msstatelp1]

We dont need to go superconservative. We do that against Bama every year and get our *** handed to us. Dan needs to start out like he did against LSU. Let Fitz run it and get hit a couple of times to knock down the adrenaline then take whatever the GA defense is giving us.

 

[patdog]

the 2nd targeting call was also incorrect in my opinion.

You have no idea how the targeting rule is written and called then. That was textbook targeting.

 

[MSUCE99]

That I've seen no one discuss are...
LSU had one if not two TD's in the first half overturned due to a penalty.
Had one dropped ball over the middle where receiver was behind our D that could have been a TD.
They had one DL starter out of the game due to injury, one DL starter go out with a hand injury, one DE that was playing less than 100% and 2 D lineman go out early in the 3rd quarter bc of targeting penalties. That's 4 D starters out and one less than full speed.
I know all of this is part of the game and luck is needed to win a few but GA isn't going to have 11-12 penalties, and most likely aren't going to have 4-5 Defensive players out of the game or slowed by an injury.
We have the components to win this game but on the road, in the SEC, at night with a fairly young team... We are going to have to play great in all 3 phases to win this game.
And have a little luck go our way as well.

WRONG. We don't need any of that crap to happen. All we need is for some poor fool on Georgia's team to disrespect Jeffrey Simmons on Twitter this week.

 

[kendesu]

I'm not saying we are the 2nd best SEC team at stopping the pass. I have no idea. I haven't closely watched all fourteen teams. But to this point Georgia hasn't gained a lot of yardage through the air and we haven't allowed a lot of yardage through the air. Fromm is a true freshman starting his 2nd game vs. an FBS team and his first against an SEC team. And I've thought since before the season started that our secondary has been underrated. We played 11 guys in the secondary Saturday. Building depth is going to be key for us later in the season.

 

[blacklistedbully]

You left out something else in your analysis. If you're gonna give LSU another TD to "close the gap", you have to widen it again by giving us another at the end of the game, where we started taking a knee at the LSU 19 with a minute left. We were ramming it down their throats on that drive as well, and with our backups.

Little reason to think they could have stopped us from getting another TD. How does 44-14 sound to you?

 

[TheStateUofMS]

We had 3 starters out just off the top of my head: WR Miles, DT Thomas, WR/RB Dear

Injuries happen.

We also kicked the ball out of bounds to give them good field position that lead to their TD.

They also had a lot of penalties partly due to home field advantage. I think the cow bells and crowd gave in to the LSU DL who targeted Fitz. Getting whipped and loud cow bells all night got to 'em.

Either that or Arranda said target him bc getting him out of the game is our only chance. I'll go with the first theory though.

 

[BulldogBlitz]

^^this