HAILSTATEBEAT: Bulldogs Deliver Complete Performance In Rout Of Kentucky
October 22, 2017 | HailStateBEAT
HailStateBEAT
Â
Perhaps most noticeably, however, was that it was the most complete performance by the Bulldogs all year. It's been a season where mixtures of youth, injury, new coaches and minor slips have given Dan Mullen's team something to either work on, at best, or be quite frustrated with, at worst.
Â
One of the best examples, as Mullen shared after Saturday's win, was the first play by his defense against Georgia one month prior. On the first offensive play for those Bulldogs, a flea-flicker led immediately to a wide-open receiver streaking into the endzone with the football. UGA scored and took the air out of MSU's tires basically upon arrival. Turns out, MSU was in a Cover Three, and one of those defensive backs was supposed to hang back in the middle of the field, while another was sent to the line of scrimmage. Instead, they both crashed the line, leaving the pass catcher open.
Â
Had one of them not gotten mixed up, or had both of them gotten mixed up but gone in the other direction, the pass would have been batted down, perhaps even intercepted, and the game might have gone completely differently. Or it might have gone exactly the same, of course, but that's not the point.
Â
For a team that's had its issues with issues, Saturday's complete performance was exactly what MSU needed, and a sure sign of growth. MSU scored a lot of points. MSU held Kentucky to very few points. MSU made field goals, returned kicks and skied some good punts. They did all the things they were supposed to do.
Â
Â"I thought, all three phases, a very solid day against a really good team," Mullen said. "We were able to take them out of what makes them comfortable and put pressure on them."
Junior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was a standout, completing 18-of-26 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing 12 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
Â
Â"I thought he did a really good job. He made some plays," Mullen said. "I was pleased with his decision making all day and his play making."
The secondary, after a couple rough games earlier in the season, performed well, recording an impressive five pass break-ups in the first half alone.
Â
Â"There were some times [UK] took some shots and they were 1-on-1s, 50-50 balls, and we won the 50-50 balls today," Mullen continued. "That's a big deal in a game."
The running game was as impressive as ever, racking up 282 yards and four touchdowns, and that's taking away the four yards "lost" when MSU kneeled twice to end the game.
Â
Â"I think it's the consistency of the tailbacks running the ball that's really helped open it up for the quarterbacks," Mullen added. "Being able to stay on the field allows you to be patient in the run game."
And of course, give the offensive line credit for such a good performance while starting three redshirt freshmen due to injuries.
Â
Â"You're seeing a lot of guys start to grow up out there on the field for us," Mullen proudly stated. "I love how those guys are starting to grow."
Of course, their counterparts on the other side of the ball are doing the same.
Â
Â"I challenged those guys especially. We needed to get some pass rush. I thought the first half, we weren't getting enough pass rush," Mullen specified. "I challenged those guys to really get after the quarterback … I thought our D-line as a whole really picked it up and got after the quarterback in the second half."
Speaking of, MSU even did a good job of improving.
Â
Â"I thought we came out pretty solid in the first half," Mullen said of his team, "but I really challenged them to take it another level in the second half, and I think they did that."
Even the crowd, the head coach made a point to share, had a great performance.
Â
Â"Our fans gave us that homefield advantage today," Mullen noted without prompt. "It was a great atmosphere. I thought that was one of the big factors."
Perhaps one could call that the previously undiscovered fourth phase of the game. Either way, this much is clear: MSU is playing the best it has all year as it dives into the second half of the season.
Â
