Arnett Q&A...

[dawgstudent]

Everything Mississippi State DC Zach Arnett said at his media availability on Monday

Everything Mississippi State DC Zach Arnett said at his media availability on Monday at the Seal Football Complex.

www.on3.com

 

[GloryDawg]

Who was the DL that got hurt in the first half of the ASU game. Is he back this season. He was creating havoc in their back field. I felt with him leaving the first half changed the game up a little.

 

[dawgstudent]

Who was the DL that got hurt in the first half of the ASU game. Is he back this season. He was creating havoc in their back field. I felt with him leaving the first half changed the game up a little.

Will Whitson and he is back.

 

[maroonmania]

Will Whitson and he is back.

He is back for Game 1, can't say anything beyond that. He played in 4 games at Coastal Carolina in 2024 and 2 games in 2025 for State before getting put out for the season both years. So durability hasn't exactly been his middle name.

 

[Darryl Steight]

durability hasn't exactly been his middle name.

That's because "Will badmotherfuker Whitson" was already too long and durability wouldn't fit on the birth certificate.

 

[aTotal360]

No F bombs. Not interested.

 

[HailStout]

I was an Arnett fan until I studied his results during his first tenure and found the facts are that his defense cost us more games than his defense won. Arnett is the main reason our program is having to fight its way off the mat. We were paying him $2,000,000 (very low for a HC but appropriate for the situation - credit to Keenum for that decision) when he QUIT midway thru the season. He quit on his team, employer and fanbase while putting no effort into recruiting. Then the ole miss dicklicker goes up the road to support our rival while collecting another two million from MSU. What would an additional $2m done for recruiting?

 

[CochiseCowbell]

I was an Arnett fan until I studied his results during his first tenure and found the facts are that his defense cost us more games than his defense won. Arnett is the main reason our program is having to fight its way off the mat. We were paying him $2,000,000 (very low for a HC but appropriate for the situation - credit to Keenum for that decision) when he QUIT midway thru the season. He quit on his team, employer and fanbase while putting no effort into recruiting. Then the ole miss dicklicker goes up the road to support our rival while collecting another two million from MSU. What would an additional $2m done for recruiting?

 

[patdog]

I was an Arnett fan until I studied his results during his first tenure and found the facts are that his defense cost us more games than his defense won. Arnett is the main reason our program is having to fight its way off the mat. We were paying him $2,000,000 (very low for a HC but appropriate for the situation - credit to Keenum for that decision) when he QUIT midway thru the season. He quit on his team, employer and fanbase while putting no effort into recruiting. Then the ole miss dicklicker goes up the road to support our rival while collecting another two million from MSU. What would an additional $2m done for recruiting?

Not an Arnett fan at all. But his last season as DC our defense was pretty good. There’s some serious mental & character issues from his year as head coach & his time at UNLV. There’s a reason no one gave him an on field job until now. I’m definitely not sold on him.

 

[olblue]

Not an Arnett fan at all. But his last season as DC our defense was pretty good. There’s some serious mental & character issues from his year as head coach & his time at UNLV. There’s a reason no one gave him an on field job until now. I’m definitely not sold on him.

It is the Mississippi State way. Some people think every hire should be a former player or coach. Why Lebby re-cycled this guy is a mystery.

 

[tired]

ZA can coach D. He's good at knowing how & when to bring pressure and force turnovers. He was being pulled 12 different ways as HC, & deserves the criticism, but this defense looks like it could be spry. Got some guys that can play.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I was an Arnett fan until I studied his results during his first tenure and found the facts are that his defense cost us more games than his defense won. Arnett is the main reason our program is having to fight its way off the mat. We were paying him $2,000,000 (very low for a HC but appropriate for the situation - credit to Keenum for that decision) when he QUIT midway thru the season. He quit on his team, employer and fanbase while putting no effort into recruiting. Then the ole miss dicklicker goes up the road to support our rival while collecting another two million from MSU. What would an additional $2m done for recruiting?

 

[ronpolk]

I was an Arnett fan until I studied his results during his first tenure and found the facts are that his defense cost us more games than his defense won. Arnett is the main reason our program is having to fight its way off the mat. We were paying him $2,000,000 (very low for a HC but appropriate for the situation - credit to Keenum for that decision) when he QUIT midway thru the season. He quit on his team, employer and fanbase while putting no effort into recruiting. Then the ole miss dicklicker goes up the road to support our rival while collecting another two million from MSU. What would an additional $2m done for recruiting?

I’m not sure I have quite the disdain for him that you do but I definitely think our fanbase overrates him as a DC. He’s average at best. However, average would be a pretty big step up from the last 2 years.

 

[OopsICroomedmypants]

The greatest head coach in college football history said this about Arnett: “This guy has a defensive scheme that is a pain in the butt to prepare for and play against and creates a lot of negative plays and puts a lot of pressure on the offense,” Saban said during SEC Media Days. “And you don’t need like great big physical dominant type guys to play his scheme. So I think this is going to be really important in them taking the next step. … f they improve the defense and they can maintain what they’ve done on offense, and they’ve got some good players to do it, they’re gonna make a huge improvement and give lots of people lots of problems.”

I like Arnett. He's fired up and has dudes attacking the ball. He is going to make plenty of big stops early in a drive, but he will give up 1 long td per game because eventually the offense will guess right, and run a play where the defense is not.

 

[patdog]

The greatest head coach in college football history said this about Arnett: “This guy has a defensive scheme that is a pain in the butt to prepare for and play against and creates a lot of negative plays and puts a lot of pressure on the offense,” Saban said during SEC Media Days. “And you don’t need like great big physical dominant type guys to play his scheme. So I think this is going to be really important in them taking the next step. … f they improve the defense and they can maintain what they’ve done on offense, and they’ve got some good players to do it, they’re gonna make a huge improvement and give lots of people lots of problems.”

I like Arnett. He's fired up and has dudes attacking the ball. He is going to make plenty of big stops early in a drive, but he will give up 1 long td per game because eventually the offense will guess right, and run a play where the defense is not.

Nick Saban scored 41, 49 & 30 vs Arnett’s defenses.

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

Nick Saban scored 41, 49 & 30 vs Arnett’s defenses.

Saban did that to a lot of teams....

 

[Dawgzilla2]

It is the Mississippi State way. Some people think every hire should be a former player or coach. Why Lebby re-cycled this guy is a mystery.

Perhaps he was the best candidate interested in the job?

 

[Howiefeltersnstch]

Im stoked to have him back. I like the guy and maybe he has learned a few things. He loves Starkville it seems. But I said even during the Leach years when most of this aite thought he was JLD 2 that he wasnt great. The defensive rankings are proof. I want top 20 defenses. Not 47. He is an upgrade for sure tho

 

[Baddog11]

Why do they people asking the questions have to make unrelated/unknown statements before asking the questions?

like this one : “Coach, if you took all the wide receivers in the league and put them in a 4 X 100 you’d win the gold medal.”
“How does that translate to winning games?”

it should be more concise without giving the reporter’s opinion. . . . So his question should have been more like, “Coach, how does being one of the fastest teams in the league at wide receiver translate into winning games?”

this was just one example but I did notice almost every single reporter leading with weird statements before asking the questions.

 

[40 acres and a mule]

It is the Mississippi State way. Some people think every hire should be a former player or coach. Why Lebby re-cycled this guy is a mystery.

I'll bite. Because he couldn't be worse than who we had and no one else with DC experience would take the job.

 

[Baddog11]

Nick Saban scored 41, 49 & 30 vs Arnett’s defenses.

And quit when he found out he wasn’t going to be able to beat up on miss state every single year anymore.

 

[Seinfeld]

Im stoked to have him back. I like the guy and maybe he has learned a few things. He loves Starkville it seems. But I said even during the Leach years when most of this aite thought he was JLD 2 that he wasnt great. The defensive rankings are proof. I want top 20 defenses. Not 47. He is an upgrade for sure tho

There were always two things that bothered me about an Arnett defense.

1) He had a hard time getting upper tier D linemen to sign up for it

2) His success rate for getting crucial, late game stops always seemed like it was really low. I could be wrong, but it seemed that way

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

My memory of him as DC is that it was a mixed bag. I lean more good than bad, but there are obvious stinkers one could point to. It will be better than the Hutzler era by default.

 

[BoDawg.sixpack]

My memory of him as DC is that it was a mixed bag. I lean more good than bad, but there are obvious stinkers one could point to. It will be better than the Hutzler era by default.

The worst part of Hutzler's defenses, and there is a lot there to choose from, was sacks and TFLs. This is where ZA can make an immediate impact bc he shows more fronts and disguises blitzes better. In 2025 we make an improvement but we were still around 100 in sacks and about the same in TFL's. You don't even have to get to the QB to affect his decision making, you just need that pressure which was absent the last two years.

 

[Xenomorph]

I was an Arnett fan until I studied his results during his first tenure and found the facts are that his defense cost us more games than his defense won. Arnett is the main reason our program is having to fight its way off the mat. We were paying him $2,000,000 (very low for a HC but appropriate for the situation - credit to Keenum for that decision) when he QUIT midway thru the season. He quit on his team, employer and fanbase while putting no effort into recruiting. Then the ole miss dicklicker goes up the road to support our rival while collecting another two million from MSU. What would an additional $2m done for recruiting?

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

The worst part of Hutzler's defenses, and there is a lot there to choose from, was sacks and TFLs. This is where ZA can make an immediate impact bc he shows more fronts and disguises blitzes better. In 2025 we make an improvement but we were still around 100 in sacks and about the same in TFL's. You don't even have to get to the QB to affect his decision making, you just need that pressure which was absent the last two years.

Yeah, I would say where ZA gets himself in trouble is being overly aggressive at times. He has some Todd Grantham in him.

Also I feel like every once in a while certain teams could just run the ball down our throat. I remember the ‘22 Kentucky game really bothering me with how we got pushed around at the LOS.

 

[FreeDawg]

I was an Arnett fan until I studied his results during his first tenure and found the facts are that his defense cost us more games than his defense won. Arnett is the main reason our program is having to fight its way off the mat. We were paying him $2,000,000 (very low for a HC but appropriate for the situation - credit to Keenum for that decision) when he QUIT midway thru the season. He quit on his team, employer and fanbase while putting no effort into recruiting. Then the ole miss dicklicker goes up the road to support our rival while collecting another two million from MSU. What would an additional $2m done for recruiting?

There are a lot of people you can blame for the state of Mississippi State football, but Arnett isn't even in my top three.

1. John Cohen – He was the worst AD in the SEC here, and somehow he's the worst AD in the SEC at Auburn too. The Joe Moorhead hire is, without question, the worst coaching hire of my lifetime. It single-handedly derailed our football program. And don't come back with the "it was a good hire at the time" revisionist history. Some of our fans will defend literally anything.

2. Joe Moorhead – That man inherited a roster that could've sleepwalked to 10 wins. Instead of leaning on one of the best defenses we've ever had and easing in his offense, he forced his system immediately and flushed three wins down the drain. It was like being Jamaica's track coach and telling Usain Bolt, "Forget the 100 meters, you'll be running marathons now."

3. God – Okay, maybe Mike Leach deserves a little responsibility for managing his health, but come on. We finally make the hire that's going to erase the Moorhead disaster and give us a few years of winning, entertaining football... and then a widowmaker. If God doesn't hate Mississippi State football, then we're basically Job.

 

[MSUDOG24]

Yeah, I would say where ZA gets himself in trouble is being overly aggressive at times. He has some Todd Grantham in him.

Also I feel like every once in a while certain teams could just run the ball down our throat. I remember the ‘22 Kentucky game really bothering me with how we got pushed around at the LOS.

That KY game was frustrating to watch on both sides of the ball that night. One of Leach's clunker games on O as well if I remember correctly.

My first thought of Arnett and his D is the OM game from that year. Might have been that I was thinking we were going to get run out of the place only to sit there in shock watching us make their vaunted offense look pretty discombobulated all night. Still give him a lot of credit for that win.

We'll see what v2 brings and if the mixed bag can end up being more good than bad but I'm glad he's back.

 

[tired]

Arnett is competent. He's capable of punching above his weight occasionally & also has some stinkers, but he is more good than bad.

My question would be, has he learned anything? Seems like he has but remains to be seen.

 

[Howiefeltersnstch]

When you gamble and blitz sometimes it bites you in the a$$. Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong but I dont remember Arnett having any impressive recruits on the D. Surely I'm forgetting someone. I know he put a couple corners in the league and maybe a couple of UDFA ?

 

[patdog]

There are a lot of people you can blame for the state of Mississippi State football, but Arnett isn't even in my top three.

1. John Cohen – He was the worst AD in the SEC here, and somehow he's the worst AD in the SEC at Auburn too. The Joe Moorhead hire is, without question, the worst coaching hire of my lifetime. It single-handedly derailed our football program. And don't come back with the "it was a good hire at the time" revisionist history. Some of our fans will defend literally anything.

2. Joe Moorhead – That man inherited a roster that could've sleepwalked to 10 wins. Instead of leaning on one of the best defenses we've ever had and easing in his offense, he forced his system immediately and flushed three wins down the drain. It was like being Jamaica's track coach and telling Usain Bolt, "Forget the 100 meters, you'll be running marathons now."

3. God – Okay, maybe Mike Leach deserves a little responsibility for managing his health, but come on. We finally make the hire that's going to erase the Moorhead disaster and give us a few years of winning, entertaining football... and then a widowmaker. If God doesn't hate Mississippi State football, then we're basically Job.

Keenum. Selmon.

 

[SteelCurtain74]

I don't know if he's a good DC or just an average one but taking a look at the old record book tells me during Leach's tenure, his defenses gave up more than 30 points in 16 of 36 games (44%). That doesn't seem to fit the definition of a good DC for me.

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

Keenum. Selmon.

Yeah it’s hard for me to pin it all on Cohen when he’s been gone 4 years this fall or Moorhead who’s been gone 7 years this coming January.

Selmon has now been our AD longer than Greg Byrne was. Lebby has been our head coach longer than Moorhad or Arnett. It’s on them if things don’t get fixed. The people we have in charge aren’t exactly the new guys anymore.

 

[leeinator]

Everything Mississippi State DC Zach Arnett said at his media availability on Monday

Everything Mississippi State DC Zach Arnett said at his media availability on Monday at the Seal Football Complex.

www.on3.com

Don't know Pu$$y.

 

[Dogpatrol]

Nick Saban scored 41, 49 & 30 vs Arnett’s defenses.

Probably because they were on field for 2/3 of game as well