Sunday Afternoon Thoughts-So That Is What A Win Feels Like

[StarkVegasSteve]

Yesterday was a great day of football, especially in the evening. Finally a good day of football, after the 1st quarter, for Mississippi State. It reminded me a lot of the USM game last year where we struggled and then finally realized that this was not an SEC D Line and we could run on them.

1. Van Buren continues to improve. He was bailed out a couple of times yesterday by UMASS from making some really bad mistakes but I thought he finally had a tad of pocket presence yesterday and made a couple of good RPO and zone reads. Still feel like he is AT LEAST another year away from realizing his full potential. His pocket presence is still downright awful, which is made worse by our O Line.

2. I was proud of the D after the first drive. They gave up anything and everything on that first drive and were trending that way on the second drive until we held them to a FG. I really think the game turned on the Lanier INT. It seemed like our D decided it was ok to get stops after that. Hutzler will still be let go at the end of the season from the DC role but good to see him finally let the D loose a bit.

3. If we did not have Kevin Coleman, this offense would struggle immensely. He is the ultimate safety valve for Van Buren because he turns 3 yd gains into 10 yd gains and can turn 10 yd gains into TDs. Need to figure out a way to convince him to stay.

4. It has been really good the last few weeks to see Booth and Daniels start to play like RBs. Actually hitting the holes and accelerating. I also think Gayten is going to be a great one. Adding Davis back to that room next year could give us a really special RB room.

5. Burnside needs to switch to defense. He cannot catch and cannot get separation. From everything I have heard on him for years, he has NFL potential on defense. I have also seen him lay some hits on special teams so I know the aggressiveness is there.

6. The Seydou Traore we have seen the last 4 weeks is the Seydou Traore we thought we were getting. He has been a weapon in the pass game. I still go back to that ASU game and him dropping the dime dropped by Shapen and wondering how that could have changed that game.

7. Craver makes a difference in this offense. I really did not think it would be a HUGE difference but without Craver, the deep ball has been non existent. He is another that we need to get back and then find a way to keep. I know we have already renegotiated his deal, but you never know what an Auburn will be throwing out in the portal.

8. Yesterday was probably our last win, but it would go miles with the fan base, and with recruiting, if we were able to pull an upset in any of the last 3. Especially that last one.

9. It is going to take all of us to turn this thing around, not just admin and coaches. Fans as well. And I do not just mean financially through NIL. Buy tickets, tailgate, buy gear, etc. But most importantly, spread the word. If the university wants to use the script, then support the script. If the university wants to change the colors to green and pink, then by god support green and pink. We all need to start rowing in the same direction and stop picking sides, forming factions, and bitching every time something does not go the way of our side.

10. This is more of me thing than a thing I think is going to happen, but can we please get REAL media members? Pizza boy, the high school sports reporter, and a guy who looks like he does not know what a bar of soap looks like is embarrassing to have as a ?Voice Of The Fans?. The problem is that those 3, more pizza boy and the high school sports reporter, run off any real media members because those people might be normal and not want to talk about Wrestlemania. Steve is kind of in his own lane at this point. I actually do not mind Steve?s reporting, he just is a bit too out there to be a respected media member. I wish we would revoke the credentials of the other two. Faulk more than Hadad.

11. Keep the faith. Give Lebby time. This thing will turn around.


As always, HailState.

[RockyDog]

Too positive. You are supposed to blame it all on Salmon

[Mjoelner34]

I don't know if you could tell this from the tv angle or if you could notice it from east and west stands but from the scoreboard club, it was 100% obvious that on Gayten's TD run, Lebby's scheme of putting the WR outside of the numbers paid off. By the time that defender saw the play and got back to the numbers, Gayten was already even with him and moving full speed so he had no chance. You get the edge in a formation like that and I could gain 20 yds.

[StarkVegasSteve]

I don't know if you could tell this from the tv angle or if you could notice it from east and west stands but from the scoreboard club, it was 100% obvious that on Gayten's TD run, Lebby's scheme of putting the WR outside of the numbers paid off. By the time that defender saw the play and got back to the numbers, Gayten was already even with him and moving full speed so he had no chance. You get the edge in a formation like that and I could gain 20 yds.

So funny story, I was actually playing NCAA Football on Friday and started to use the Veer And Shoot, not for me as an offensive scheme as far as playing a video game. But I was noticing as I was playing how damn wide the receivers were. I mean way outside the damn numbers. I watched it a bit closer yesterday and you could tell we were just manipulating numbers with the runs a lot of times. If you break a run, it is really difficult for a DB to catch a RB with good speed. That is why I think this scheme works for us long term. It is not necessarily about talent, but manipulating numbers. A lot like Leach in that way.

[Todd4State]

So funny story, I was actually playing NCAA Football on Friday and started to use the Veer And Shoot, not for me as an offensive scheme as far as playing a video game. But I was noticing as I was playing how damn wide the receivers were. I mean way outside the damn numbers. I watched it a bit closer yesterday and you could tell we were just manipulating numbers with the runs a lot of times. If you break a run, it is really difficult for a DB to catch a RB with good speed. That is why I think this scheme works for us long term. It is not necessarily about talent, but manipulating numbers. A lot like Leach in that way.

There are definitely some Air Raid qualities like that in the Veer and Shoot. Different offenses but some of the same general philosophies with some different twists.

And yeah I don't think Faulk and Hadad want to mess with Steve too much. And rightfully so.

[R2Dawg]

Just comment on a couple of items.

We have the skill players to compete and win. We need big bodies on both sides of LOS. Focus in recruiting. Need to hang on to our skill players.

Yeah the entire MSU fanbase does need to pull together; we are in a big hole but we can get out and with a good offseason, we can climb out next fall even if just a little.

To our media reps. Steve is Steve, I don't listen to Faulk much. Hadad is OK but sometimes he is a poor rep for MSU and plays to poor ole MSU, we suck, etc. We don't need our reps in preseason telling us before season starts that we are gonna such even if it is true and he does that all the time. OM has everyone saying they are winning the NC and heisman when there is snowballs chance but they do it anyway giving hope to the fanbase. Hadad douses any excitement before season starts.

[Ranchdawg]

1. Agree, Van Buren is showing glimpses of the future and it is bright.
2. D-line was horrible Umass first and second drive. And different spots in the game. I mean their o-line was pushing our d-line wherever they wanted.
Umass has won 2games.
9. Yes your are correct that it is going to take every last one of us pushing/pulling the same. Because there is not that many hard core of us. And this
incessant Bithching about every little thing that our athletic department does or doesn’t do has got to stop. And these little fractions of the fans has got stop. Some don't want this logo, some don’t want this game day activities, some don’t want this particular uniform etc etc and if they don’t get their way they claim they refuse to support. Excellent game day atmosphere is generated by the FANS not totally by the administration. See University of South
Carolina. Stand up and be a proud Bulldog not a sky is falling, crawl in a hole poor pitiful us. Which from time to time I’m guilty of myself.

The only thing I have a problem with is that the AD and head coach very badly need to endure themselves to the common fan/alumni. They need to make it a top priority that the common fan/alum not give up and stay involved. Extoll this to anyone and everyone who will listen. Explain yes this year was terrible and guarantee that both the AD and Head coach are working the hardest of anyone on this planet to turn this around. Right now all I hear crickets! Come on you have to instill some hope or you will lose the fan base and they won’t give a crap anymore.

I remember when Mullen first came here he would do interviews a lot and talk openly that he came here to win championships. This fired up the fan base
and made them wish to be apart of it. Mullen attempted to portray a winning attitude whether it was true or not didn’t matter if you say it enough times
people start believing it. Not one time have I heard Selmon address what his vision is and what he wants to accomplish for OUR University. All I have heard from Selmon is give more money. Nor have I heard Lebby extol what/how he is going to turn this fiasco around. Again crickets!

Rant over!

[Coach34]

We got the SEC cheat advantage on VB's interception in the 2Q. That wasnt roughing the passer. That was a big call in the game

[Maroonthirteen]

9 and 10, amen.

9. Everyone that can, come to the Missouri game. Last home game, let's have a good crowd to support the cause. Give to State Excellence because if Vandy and Pitt can turn things around, we can too.

10. I'm not sure State has much choice in the matter. But you're exactly right. There is to much infighting and negativity that stems from Hadad and to a lesser degree Faulk. Faulk is a good writer but is to influenced by Hadad and the toxic messages board at on3. He needs to distance himself from Hadad and the messages boards.

Hadad is who he is, negative. State fans need to be mindful of that. Fans would do better to listen to other podcast and listen to other radio shows. MSU needs to limit his access as best they can.

Steve does his job for subscribers. I believe he straddles the fence. However Steve truly has the best interest of the school and his customers in mind.

[Coach34]

ya know- I'm come around on Rosebowl. Didnt care for him at all in the old days. But since then have talked to him a couple of times and even met him in person at Rocklahoma- he's not a bad guy.

He is about Miss State and wants us to win. I can get behind that

[parabrave]

And Lebby finally addressed the left tackle position by replacing 51 with 66.

[Todd4State]

9 and 10, amen.

9. Everyone that can, come to the Missouri game. Last home game, let's have a good crowd to support the cause. Give to State Excellence because if Vandy and Pitt can turn things around, we can too.

10. I'm not sure State has much choice in the matter. But you're exactly right. There is to much infighting and negativity that stems from Hadad and to a lesser degree Faulk. Faulk is a good writer but is to influenced by Hadad and the toxic messages board at on3. He needs to distance himself from Hadad and the messages boards.

Hadad is who he is, negative. State fans need to be mindful of that. Fans would do better to listen to other podcast and listen to other radio shows. MSU needs to limit his access as best they can.

Steve does his job for subscribers. I believe he straddles the fence. However Steve truly has the best interest of the school and his customers in mind.

MSU may need to have a talk with Hadad and Faulk at some point.

I'm not exactly sure how much the entire fan base knows who they are or not. I'm pretty sure my parents have no idea who they are. A know a lot of people listen to them though.

Basically parroting what is being said on message boards may make you popular with fans but the reality is a lot of fans use message boards to vent their frustrations- some legit and some not. Plus you have some people that don't know what the hell they're talking about. So getting on a podcast and essentially venting isn't always the best thing to do.

You look at a guy like Brandon Walker. And the thing about him is while he is emotional and a lot of what he does is an act for Barstool he is almost always positive FOR Mississippi State. Yeah he gets pissed when we lose. But you never hear him running down the Left Field Lounge. I don't remember him ever calling for a coach to be fired from MSU or anything like that either. I don't remember him saying our fans are a problem if you support this and not that. I may be wrong because I don't listen to his shows but I do follow him on Twitter. So correct me if I'm wrong.

[Maroonthirteen]

MSU may need to have a talk with Hadad and Faulk at some point.

Basically parroting what is being said on message boards may make you popular with fans but the reality is a lot of fans use message boards to vent their frustrations- some legit and some not. Plus you have some people that don't know what the hell they're talking about. So getting on a podcast and essentially venting isn't always the best thing to do.

.


You nailed it. Spot on.

Then combined with Hadad pissing on State's GameDay atmosphere for 15 minutes on live radio and putting it on YouTube to reach even more people.......is doing State no favors and is worthy of a discussion.

[KB21]

Jeff Lebby mentioned after the game that some of the pressures on MVB were there because there are soft spots where he can step up into in the protection scheme, and he has to get better at knowing when to step up into those soft spots. He stated that it's not always on the offensive line.

That's the major difference in Jeff Lebby and Zach Arnett. Jeff Lebby knows what's going wrong and knows how to fix it. Zach Arnett was too damn stupid to know what was going on, and because of that, he didn't know what needed to be fixed.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Jeff Lebby mentioned after the game that some of the pressures on MVB were there because there are soft spots where he can step up into in the protection scheme, and he has to get better at knowing when to step up into those soft spots. He stated that it's not always on the offensive line.

That's the major difference in Jeff Lebby and Zach Arnett. Jeff Lebby knows what's going wrong and knows how to fix it. Zach Arnett was too damn stupid to know what was going on, and because of that, he didn't know what needed to be fixed.

Well and Arnett wasn't an offensive guy. He had never coached offense. He didn't sit in on offensive meetings with Leach or anything like that. Arnett's lack of knowledge on offense wasn't what got him fired. He trusted advisors that were bad and hired an OC that doesn't know what he wants to do on offense. He listened to the wrong people and mad a bad hire. It happens every day in every business, and especially when it's someone doing it for the first time. I don't blame Arnett for it though. He got bad advice and he listened to it. Everyone does it. He was a vulnerable first time HC in the toughest league in the country and he relied on people that either didn't know what they were doing or put their own interests ahead of the team.

I'm tired of running down Arnett. It serves no purpose anymore.

[EdwardDrayton]

Well and Arnett wasn't an offensive guy. He had never coached offense. He didn't sit in on offensive meetings with Leach or anything like that. Arnett's lack of knowledge on offense wasn't what got him fired. He trusted advisors that were bad and hired an OC that doesn't know what he wants to do on offense. He listened to the wrong people and mad a bad hire. It happens every day in every business, and especially when it's someone doing it for the first time. I don't blame Arnett for it though. He got bad advice and he listened to it. Everyone does it. He was a vulnerable first time HC in the toughest league in the country and he relied on people that either didn't know what they were doing or put their own interests ahead of the team.

I'm tired of running down Arnett. It serves no purpose anymore.

Arnett was not PREPARED to be a head coach. Hard to understand putting folks in a position to fail. He had not acquired nor demonstrated specific leadership skills/knowledge that could put him in a position to succeed. One being having a proven framework to evaluate candidates for a particular position. Knowing how to do this well is CRITICAL to a leadership position.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Arnett was not PREPARED to be a head coach. Hard to understand putting folks in a position to fail. He had not acquired nor demonstrated specific leadership skills/knowledge that could put him in a position to succeed. One being having a proven framework to evaluate candidates for a particular position. Knowing how to do this well is CRITICAL to a leadership position.

Correct. We were in a bad position and panicked. Hindsight being 20/20, you name him the interim while you do a coaching search and you let him interview for the job like any other candidate.