Rewatching 2018 Kansas State game

[Lord McBuckethead]

It still kinds of makes me shake my head, that Aeris didn't get more of a share of the carries. I understand Hill's talent, but Aeris really had a great skillset overall.

[Lord McBuckethead]

Hill did have a heck of a game. That is not lost on me.

[Todd4State]

I think the biggest flaw that Joe has was his top five or whatever he called it and his insistence on using one RB, one TE, and three receivers. And he didn't substitute guys that much. It really limits his offense. Most coaches would have used Aeris and Kylin in two back sets or used Kylin in the slot some. He also pretty much wasted Malik Dear. And I have been pretty vocal about how he underutilized Javonta Payton, Dontae Jones, and Austin Williams who were all more consistent catching the ball than Guidry.

[Lord McBuckethead]

Hill's third TD run was really good.

[JPdog]

That was in the three week bliss period where I thought we were a legit contender for the playoff. I?ll never forger the excitement I had after the UL-Lafayette game the week after this game. Fitz looked great as a passer, and the SEC analysts said we looked like a top 5 team in the country...Then the next week was Kentucky and we realized we had a guy way in over his head running the ship and the rest is history. Oh what could have been

[Todd4State]

That was in the three week bliss period where I thought we were a legit contender for the playoff. I?ll never forger the excitement I had after the UL-Lafayette game the week after this game. Fitz looked great as a passer, and the SEC analysts said we looked like a top 5 team in the country...Then the next week was Kentucky and we realized we had a guy way in over his head running the ship and the rest is history. Oh what could have been

I hope things even out for us at some point. Maybe we'll have a team that kind of comes out of nowhere like 1991 and surprises us for a change.

[RiverCityDawg]

It still kinds of makes me shake my head, that Aeris didn't get more of a share of the carries. I understand Hill's talent, but Aeris really had a great skillset overall.

If anything the 2018 KSU game should have shown you WHY Aeris didn't get as many carries... Because Kylin Hill is a dang good running back and better than Aeris. He made several plays in that game that Aeris just wasn't capable of making. Aeris was a nice tough player, but not nearly as good as Kylin at anything other than pass protection. And he got 85 carries on the year (7 per game), which isn't bad for a backup.

What should have happened that year was Kylin more carries for Kylin.

It ultimately wouldn't have mattered the whole program was flawed.

[Captain Falcon]

Both Kylin and Aeris were underused that year. Between Week 2 (this aforementioned Kansas State game) and the Egg Bowl, Kylin got double digit carries in a game a grand total of one time, which makes zero sense.

Kylin and Aeris combined 2017: 314 carries, 1,500 yards, 4.8 YPC, 8 TD's
Kylin and Aeris combined 2018: 202 carries, 1,258 yards, 6.3 YPC, 7 TD's

Per carry both guys were more effective than they were the previous year under Mullen, and yet we managed to give them 100 fewer carries than they got the year before. No wonder we went 8-5.

[Lord McBuckethead]

Kylin was banged up that entire season, probably the reason for the lack of carries. Also, Fitz pulled the ball too much. It was even clear in the KSU game. We all act like Aeris couldn't get it done. Sure he didn't have the explosion speed Kylin does, but the dude did his job very well. Heck I think he pretty much had a 1000 yards in the 2017 year. Plus he was a little more of a bruiser.

[chef dixon]

When I watch that game my take away is our defense was one of the nastiest I've ever seen in college

[hp22]

I try not to think about those years of football.

We had statistically/arguably one of the best defenses in modern college football history. I think they gave up 12 touchdowns all year. And Kansas State and LSU both scored on drives of 1 yard and less than 20 yards. And Alabama scored 4....one of which was bogus.

How we managed to lose 4 games is beyond me. We had 3 1000 yard rushers in the backfield and NFL talent at spots up front. Why we never played Williams/Hill in a split back is beyond me.

[StarkVegasSteve]

I try not to think about those years of football.

We had statistically/arguably one of the best defenses in modern college football history. I think they gave up 12 touchdowns all year. And Kansas State and LSU both scored on drives of 1 yard and less than 20 yards. And Alabama scored 4....one of which was bogus.

How we managed to lose 4 games is beyond me. We had 3 1000 yard rushers in the backfield and NFL talent at spots up front. Why we never played Williams/Hill in a split back is beyond me.

It's still honestly hard to fathom how we lost by DOUBLE 17 DIGITS in Tiger Stadium and only allowed one TD all night.

[TrapGame]

When I watch that game my take away is our defense was one of the nastiest I've ever seen in college

I was gonna post the same thing.

We had a playoff team handed to Moorhead on a silver platter. Thanks to Dan Mullen being a selfish weasel and Moorhead being a total goof we'll never know.

[R2Dawg]

I was gonna post the same thing.

We had a playoff team handed to Moorhead on a silver platter. Thanks to Dan Mullen being a selfish weasel and Moorhead being a total goof we'll never know.

Gonna realize how special that D was in 10-15 years. For those of us old enough, we already know how special it was. One of best in MSU history and one of best in NCAA history. 99 bunch right there with them. 97-99 or even 2000 is probably best D stretch for sure in MSU history. 80-83 not bad either.

[Johnson85]

If anything the 2018 KSU game should have shown you WHY Aeris didn't get as many carries... Because Kylin Hill is a dang good running back and better than Aeris. He made several plays in that game that Aeris just wasn't capable of making. Aeris was a nice tough player, but not nearly as good as Kylin at anything other than pass protection. And he got 85 carries on the year (7 per game), which isn't bad for a backup.

What should have happened that year was Kylin more carries for Kylin.

It ultimately wouldn't have mattered the whole program was flawed.

Aeris got screwed as badly as just about any MSU football player I can remember. Sat the bench b/c of Mullen being so hard core about blocking assignments and doing the little things when he was the only legit SEC RB on the roster, then sat the bench behind a guy that didn't pass block and do the little things b/c he was slightly less explosive.

And I think you are inflating the difference between Hill and Aeres. Aeres was like Dicenzo Miller and Ballard. He was both better than his athleticism would predice like Miller b/c he always fell forward and was good at finding seems, and he was also more athletic/explosive than he looked like Ballard (although still not as explosive as Ballard obviously). Not saying Hill won't be better if he is as committed to pass blocking, but I don't think the difference is as big as some people think.

[thf24]

I think the biggest flaw that Joe has was his top five or whatever he called it and his insistence on using one RB, one TE, and three receivers. And he didn't substitute guys that much. It really limits his offense. Most coaches would have used Aeris and Kylin in two back sets or used Kylin in the slot some. He also pretty much wasted Malik Dear. And I have been pretty vocal about how he underutilized Javonta Payton, Dontae Jones, and Austin Williams who were all more consistent catching the ball than Guidry.

To add, I think Joe was/is overenamoured with playmaking potential, which is an extremely sharp contrast to Dan who valued consistency over explosiveness. Both Sophomore Kylin over Aeris and Guidry over guys who could be trusted to catch the ball are examples of that.

[BiscuitEater]

..Then the next week was Kentucky and we realized we had a guy way in over his head running the ship and the rest is history. Oh what could have been ..

Traveled to Lexington for that game. Don't know when I have been more let down. Just didn't see it coming!

[TrapGame]

Gonna realize how special that D was in 10-15 years. For those of us old enough, we already know how special it was. One of best in MSU history and one of best in NCAA history. 99 bunch right there with them. 97-99 or even 2000 is probably best D stretch for sure in MSU history. 80-83 not bad either.

Can we say that Jackie's '99 offense may have been more effective (not really better) than Moorheads cluster? Such a waste of talent on that offense under Moorhead.

[BiscuitEater]

Aeris got screwed as badly as just about any MSU football player I can remember.

Meanwhile, Nick Gibson averaged 7.6 ypc which was better than Hill's 6.3 and Aeris' 6.2 in '18 but got only 27 carries. Yea, I agree, the 2018 running game was fubar.

[R2Dawg]

Meanwhile, Nick Gibson averaged 7.6 ypc which was better than Hill's 6.3 and Aeris' 6.2 in '18 but got only 27 carries. Yea, I agree, the 2018 running game was fubar.

Nick Gibson was a real talented back. Man we didn't get what we should out of him.

[Todd4State]

To add, I think Joe was/is overenamoured with playmaking potential, which is an extremely sharp contrast to Dan who valued consistency over explosiveness. Both Sophomore Kylin over Aeris and Guidry over guys who could be trusted to catch the ball are examples of that.

One thing I like a lot about Leach is he likes to make sure as many guys contribute and get touches as possible. I don't disagree that Joe was enamored with playmaking potential but I prefer that over Dan's style. The problem with Joe is he wasn't creative enough to get our true top five guys on the field or disciplined enough to get a guy like Guidry to perform by sitting him for dropping passes. Dan made it a lot harder on us by not using guys like Holloway properly and starting guys on both sides of the ball that shouldn't have been playing as much. Both were flawed. Ultimately I don't care who starts- but I do want our best and most productive players starting. I don't believe that has happened since 2010.


Can we say that Jackie's '99 offense may have been more effective (not really better) than Moorheads cluster? Such a waste of talent on that offense under Moorhead.

Moorhead's offense actually finished middle of the SEC last year. And no- garbage time didn't have a lot to do with it. The thing is I think that's pretty encouraging because it tells me that we have some talent. And that's not to say that we couldn't have been better because we could have.


Jackie should have played Dicenzo and Dontae more in 1999. Would have saved me on some cardiology bills.

[sandwolf]

Aeris got screwed as badly as just about any MSU football player I can remember. Sat the bench b/c of Mullen being so hard core about blocking assignments and doing the little things when he was the only legit SEC RB on the roster, then sat the bench behind a guy that didn't pass block and do the little things b/c he was slightly less explosive.

And I think you are inflating the difference between Hill and Aeres. Aeres was like Dicenzo Miller and Ballard. He was both better than his athleticism would predice like Miller b/c he always fell forward and was good at finding seems, and he was also more athletic/explosive than he looked like Ballard (although still not as explosive as Ballard obviously). Not saying Hill won't be better if he is as committed to pass blocking, but I don't think the difference is as big as some people think.

Completely agree with all of this, especially the bolded.