Youth & Inexperience

[John Lorry]

Per CL:

I went back and looked at the opening day roster of Mullen's last five teams at Mississippi State. Teams from 2012 to the present are better to evaluate since Mullen had a foundation of recruiting classes to build upon.

When looking at those teams, Mullen has a point this year. The 2016 team is the least experienced of any in the last five years. Its starters have played a combined 427 games with 133 starts. By comparison, the 2015 starters, the closest in terms of experience, opened the season with 138 starts, but boasted 541 games played - 114 more than this year.

In fact, in 2012-2014, no Mississippi State offense or defense took the field with fewer than 116 combined starts.

Moreso, this year's team includes eight players making starts for the first time in their careers. From 2012-14, MSU had 11 players total debuted as starters. Even last year, when 10 players started for the first time, 18 of its 22 starters had played at least 20 games in their career. This year only 10 players have played in at least 20 games.

Last year, MSU had two players start at least 20 games in their career. The 2012-14 teams had at least five players each season start at least 20 games in their careers. Justin Senior, with 26, is the only player this year to have at least 20 starts.

Something else to consider, Mississippi State expected to have De'Runnya Wilson, Beniquez Brown, Gus Walley and Tolando Cleveland in its lineup this year. Wilson and Brown delcared early for the NFL and went undrafted. Walley's career was cut short because of concussions. Cleveland will miss the entire season with a torn ACL.

Together the four seniors would have brought 135 games of experience with 69 starts. Their replacements combined for 26 games of experience without a start.

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

That's a very good breakdown and something I've similarly said. People keep saying how young we are and it's not true. We are severely inexperienced

 

[RightOfCenter]

Nice breakdown. Have to give Nashville props on that one.**

 

[CochiseCowbell]

Mike Bonner, I presume.