HAILSTATEBEAT: 49-0 Opening Shutout Offers Glimpse Of Bulldog Defense Under Grantham
September 02, 2017 | Football, HailStateBEAT
Fitzgerald was very blunt with reporters when asked what it's like to face that defense in practice every day.
"It sucks," he deadpanned. "I hate it."
He was laughing when he said it because, of course, it's his teammates doing the work, and he wants them to do well. But he went on to describe how many different blitzes they have, how well they disguise their looks, how frustrating it is for a quarterback to try and read.Fitzgerald also said how excited he was for someone else to have to face MSU's defense, instead of him. On Saturday in the season opener against Charleston Southern, he didn't just get his wish, but his praise and respect were proven to be true.
Not only did MSU defeat an FCS playoff team 49-0, not only did the Bulldogs get the shutout and not only did they force three fumbles and rack up nine tackles for loss, but they held a triple option offense built to gain yardage to a total of 33 yards. For the entire game.
"I mean, that just kind of backs up what I was saying the whole time," Fitzgerald said after Saturday's game. "Very, very talented. Very hard to read. They play their assignments well. They know what they're doing. It's good to see them torturing someone else."
Each member of MSU's defense was given a wristband before the season. The rubber band has three words inscribed on it: fast, physical, aggressive. That's the mantra of Grantham's defense. That's how he wants his team to play.
Of course, those aren't words that fans of teams across the country won't hear from their defensive coaches and players, too. Every defense wants to be those things. Every defense says those words. It's an entirely different thing to, when the time comes for helmet to meet helmet and flesh to meet flesh, actually play that way.
MSU hadn't registered a safety on defense since 2011. Almost six years since the last one, it only took Grantham one game to not only match that total, but double it. In fact, not only did his defense record two safeties, they did it before the first half was even over, dragging CSU's total yardage into negative numbers for almost the entirety of the first half and most of the full game.
"That's the kind of defense our people here have grown accustomed to seeing," head coach Dan Mullen said after the game.
Now in his ninth year, it's been the defenses that have helped propel his teams to so much success, despite his background and reputation as an offensive coach and quarterback guru. Even in 2014, when Dak Prescott was college football's big new star and the Bulldogs rose to No. 1 in the country, they were doing it largely on the back of a defense that featured future NFL players like Preston Smith, Chris Jones, Benardrick McKinney, Will Redmond and Taveze Calhoun.Back in 2010 when MSU won nine games and returned to a New Year's Day bowl, a full eight members of that defense went on to play in the NFL. In Mullen's best seasons, he's had great defenses. And that's part of why 2016 was one of the hardest seasons for Mullen, a year in which a young and inexperienced defense struggled like it never had in Mullen's tenure.
Entering 2017, Mullen and MSU wanted to prove that down season to be an anomaly. With the first 60 minutes under their belt, it appears to be a message received by State's defense.
"For me, that's the type of defense I expect," Mullen said. "Todd did a fantastic job with the scheme. Coaches did a good job getting guys in position … I'm most pleased about watching how our guys ran to the football. 11 guys going as hard as they can every play."
Said Grantham, "I was really proud of our guys from the standpoint that they played to our identity. We always talk about playing fast, physical and aggressive. We attacked guys. We understood what we needed to do from a game plan standpoint."
Certainly, there is a long season ahead with at least 11 games remaining, eight of them against SEC opponents. But 49-0 with two safeties, nine tackles for loss and three forced fumbles (four before the refs overturned one) seems like a good start.
The last time MSU played an FCS opponent, it gave up 41 points. This time, the opposing offense never even crossed the 50 yard line. The closest they got was the 48.
"I know it made Coach Grantham happy," star sophomore defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons said. "He was excited. Shutout. Two safeties. Creating turnovers. That's something we talked about all week. Fast, physical, aggressive. Get to the ball. They want 11 guys, whoever is on the field, just flying to the ball."
If Saturday is any indication, then yes, MSU's defense has taken flight once again.
