Bowl Game: What do you want to see?

[CadaverDawg]

I know we don't know who or where we're playing, but I think we can all agree we're just grateful to be bowling at all. That being said, I was fully content with ending the year on the momentum of stomping the absolute dog shit out of the Mississippi Black Bears...So I really hope whatever we do, we don't kill that momentum.

So...What things do you want to see in the bowl game to make you feel better going into next year?

For me, I'd like to see a good defensive performance. (I think that's a little of why I don't want to play a Navy...bc I just don't know what we can learn from our D in terms of translating it to playing against a typical offense.). I want to see if Peters and the secondary can string together back to back above average Defensive performances in the secondary. I'd like to see better tackling...where it looks like we actually practice it. I want to see us get better on 1st down and 3rd down. I feel like we give up too many yards on first down, and have made 3rd and 5+ way too easy to convert.

Offensively, I just want to see us continuing to perfect that running game and blocking schemes. I'd love to see us get our TE's more involved in the pass game.

Mostly, I just want to keep the MO heading into 2017.

Your thoughts?

[msstate7]

After getting lit up for back-to-back 50+ games, our defense performed relatively well to beat our rival and get us a bowl. This was huge for Sirmon, our defense, and our defense's belief in Sirmon. It would be beyond great to build on that condidence our defense gained with a bowl win headed into the offseason

[CJDAWG85]

I want to see consistency on D. Carry the momentum into the offseason and recruiting?

[Todd4State]

The biggest thing I want to see is if the defense improves or not. Jake Wimberly did his breakdown last night on twitter and as I watched it he pointed out several times Ole Miss had guys running free and wide open in the Egg Bowl but Patterson didn’t see it and basically became a run first QB. Knowing that and seeing that it still concerns me about Sirmon and our defense because if that doesn’t get fixed QB’s will exploit it next year. At the same time, we have some younger players that should get better on that side of the ball and some continuity probably would help. But I’m not sure it our problems are Sirmon, young players, scheme, or changing defenses constantly. I’m kind of at a loss with it to be honest with you. Wisdom I think would say to stay with Sirmon. However, what I would like to see maybe happen in the offseason is us go out and get someone like Leslie Frazier who is the Ravens secondary coach right now who is from Columbus, MS and has been a NFL DC and make him the lead Co-DC along with Sirmon and kind of mentor him. Frazier ran a 4-3 Tampa 2 I believe and I think adding that element to our defense along with the 3-4 might be the most ideal thing. And if I was Dan I would “assign” them games to take the lead on based on the type of offense we are facing. Sirmon would get A&M, Ole Miss, and Auburn, and Frazier would take the lead on Bama, LSU, and Arkansas.

The other thing I want to see is the things that you really don’t see during the actual bowl game but the things in practice. We need to find a center and we really need to start that process during the bowl practices. If it were me I would probably lean towards Michael Story because I think Deion Calhoun has been pretty good at guard and I wouldn’t want to mess that up. I’d also look at maybe playing Jordan Thomas some at OT and see if he could possibly help out there next year. I’d like to see Reggie Todd and Jamal Couch get a lot of reps in practice. And in light of Tiano transferring out I’d definitely try to get Wyatt Roberts a lot of reps in practice as well. And I know this is going to be hard to do without all of the JUCO defensive players we have coming in but I’d like to see us experiment with some 4-3 looks in practice as well. Maybe something like Spencer and Fletcher Adams at DE, Simmons and Cory Thomas at DT, and then Green, Leo, and Jung at the LB’s. Then we can add the JUCO guys in once they get on campus.

As far as the game itself, I just want to win it. Because we’re 5-7 I’m not really picky about where we go or who we play. I think it’s a great opportunity for us to build even more momentum this offseason.

[Barking 13]

Leslie is not coming to State to be an assistant. He was an NFL head coach, for Pete's sake.. (BTW, I graduated high school with him and had been in the same class with him since the 6th grade)

pass the bong over here, man...

[CadaverDawg]

I definitely do not want to see Thomas change positions. That dude is a nightmare for DC's. Excellent blocker, and great hands...no chance that guy is changing positions if I'm coach. He makes our offense so much more dynamic, bc if you don't load the box, he is like a pulling guard leading the way on read option. If you DO load the box, he gives you a huge target in the pass game. Love that dude, and hope we run a lot of 2 TE sets next year with him & Farrod.

[Todd4State]

I definitely do not want to see Thomas change positions. That dude is a nightmare for DC's. Excellent blocker, and great hands...no chance that guy is changing positions if I'm coach. He makes our offense so much more dynamic, bc if you don't load the box, he is like a pulling guard leading the way on read option. If you DO load the box, he gives you a huge target in the pass game. Love that dude, and hope we run a lot of 2 TE sets next year with him & Farrod.

He certainly has a lot of value at TE. It's just something I would look at and it may or may not work. But we do have a hole at RT for now- I hope Hayes can come in from JUCO and fill it.

[Todd4State]

Leslie is not coming to State to be an assistant. He was an NFL head coach, for Pete's sake.. (BTW, I graduated high school with him and had been in the same class with him since the 6th grade)

pass the bong over here, man...

Probably not. We still need to do something about our defense because I have a bad feeling about it right now. Hopefully they will get it figured out and it's more experience and just having different systems that is the problem.

[CadaverDawg]

Probably not. We still need to do something about our defense because I have a bad feeling about it right now. Hopefully they will get it figured out and it's more experience and just having different systems that is the problem.

I agree with your bad feeling about the D. I have it too. I'm not so sure Sirmon is the guy. He made a top half SEC defense look like dog poo in less than a year's time....not sure how people think he will do a 180 in another year, but maybe he'll shock us.

I also agree about needing a 4-3, except I wouldn't rotate schemes, I'd go 4-3 all the time. And I agree with the above post from Barking13 that Leslie Frazier ain't happening.

[Todd4State]

I agree with your bad feeling about the D. I have it too. I'm not so sure Sirmon is the guy. He made a top half SEC defense look like dog poo in less than a year's time....not sure how people think he will do a 180 in another year, but maybe he'll shock us.

I also agree about needing a 4-3, except I wouldn't rotate schemes, I'd go 4-3 all the time. And I agree with the above post from Barking13 that Leslie Frazier ain't happening.

I'm fine with 4-3 or 3-4 to be honest with you. It seems like most on here prefer the 4-3 and I'm in that boat too- but both schemes have strengths and weaknesses and I recognize that too. I think I just want to see how Sirmon handles the bowl to get a better read on him if possible. The shame of it or I guess maybe I should say my fear is I think with our talent that we return we could be next year-and I don't want that tripped up because we have an incompetent DC. Of course he could turn out to be the next Bob Stoops or something.


I just think his lack of experience killed him this year and more than anything he needs someone that knows that side of the ball to help him out. It could be someone like Tom Allen for all I care.

[justwin]

I want to see brad blue shoes wall kick a few field goals & take over the FG kicker job. He's the freshman kicker who benched 315lbs and made the athletic play on the Arkansas onsides kick. He's fast and runs a 4.6. He kicked off in the EB and did well. I'm over graves

[Todd4State]

I want to see brad blue shoes wall kick a few field goals & take over the FG kicker job. He's the freshman kicker who benched 315lbs and made the athletic play on the Arkansas onsides kick. He's fast and runs a 4.6. He kicked off in the EB and did well. I'm over graves

Graves should be given a chance to keep the job when his back is healthy. If he doesn't start the year off well when he is healthy then I think you make a change. The real question should be why Dan keeps putting him out there with a bad back. People forget that Graves performed very well last year and I think was at the time in the school's top three in FG% coming into this year.

[Martianlander]

In regard to the bowl I haven't seen this discussed. It's probably not going to be settled till around December 10th as to where we go. Some bowls are as early as the 17th. Are we allowed to practice now even though we don't know our opponent? If not and we go to a bowl on the 17th we probably only get five practices instead of the allowed fifteen. Do we lose those?

[Outside Dawg]

http://www.signsworldwide.com/images/detailed/3/D-Fence-sign---die-cut.jpg?t=1440078669

[drunkernhelldawg]

The best thing we could see is our players and coaches going all in and fired up to be a part of the team. Love in the family and good football.

[was21]

I think they use the fifteen days of practice to prepare for some games next year. It doesn't make sense to spend those practices on a formation (if Navy) that we won't see after we play them even if we get drubbed.