The Bulldogs will head to Tampa on Dec. 26 to play in their ninth-straight bowl game.
Photo by: Blake Williams/MSU Athletics
Football Has Final Home Practice, Headed To Tampa December 26
December 21, 2018 | Football
by Brandon Langlois, Associate Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Joe Moorhead and the Mississippi State Bulldogs went through their final home practice Friday morning in preparation for the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida, on New Year's Day.
The 18th-ranked Bulldogs spent the past week preparing for their school-record ninth straight bowl game. Next week, the squad will head to Tampa on Dec. 26. MSU will hold its first Outback Bowl practice on site at Tampa Jesuit High School on Dec. 27. State takes on Iowa at noon ET/11 a.m. CT on Jan. 1 at Raymond James Stadium.
"If we were to go on the field right now, we could operate everything we're going to do in the game," Moorhead said during Friday's post-practice media session. "There will be some wrinkles we add down there, based off of film we watched today. We'll get together and fine-tune the game plan. But, if they set the ball down right now and kicked it off, I would feel comfortable with where we are at."
On Thursday afternoon, junior All-American defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons declared for the 2019 NFL Draft.
"For the past three years at Mississippi State, I have poured my heart into everything I did on the field, in the classroom and in the community," Simmons said in a letter published on HailState.com. "This place taught me to never give up, and it instilled a desire and work ethic to reach my ultimate goal."
Simmons, the anchor of the nation's best defense, will play his final game in Maroon and White in the upcoming Outback Bowl.
"You can feel the energy at practice," Simmons said. "We're ready to take that field one more time. Just the ability to take that field with those guys one more time is going to be one of the best feelings."
Simmons heads into his final college game with 159 career tackles, 30.0 for losses and 6.0 sacks. He is ranked 16th on ESPN draft expert Todd McShay's Top 32 prospects.
"Just talking about the measurables, productivity and intangibles, Jeffery is a unique mix of all three of those. He checks off all the boxes," Moorhead said. "When he goes to the NFL Combine and tests, he's going to blow those out of the water. When you get him on the board (defensive line) coach (Brian) Baker has done a great job teaching him the Xs and Os part of it. I think the rest of it, he'll do very well in any kind of question and answer sessions. I anticipate him doing very well when he gets to that component of the draft."
Below are quotes from Moorhead's media session:
Head Coach Joe Moorhead | December 21, 2018
On bowl camp …
"I think it's gone very well. I think we've put a good plan together. We kind of started off with developmental work, and then fundamentals and techniques for the older guys. We transitioned to half Iowa prep while continuing to do the developmental stuff. I think it's gone very well."
On academic eligibility for the bowl game …
"Everyone is going to play."
On 2019 signee quarterback Garrett Shrader practicing with the team the last two days …
"Kind of hard to get the offense installed in two days, so we gave him a handful of pass routes and got him in on a couple of 7-on-7s. He looked pretty sharp yesterday, but came out and had a rough stretch to start in his first few reps this morning. But, he finished with a good, strong throw.
Any time you can get a player, particularly at quarterback, a taste of what it's going to be like before they get here full time is very beneficial."
On if any more staff changes are expected …
"None have been communicated to me, and I certainly hope not. I understand the nature of the profession. I talked to guys about this during the year and as everything wrapped up. If there's opportunities for coaches to improve their situation personally, professionally and financially, I think that's part of my job as head coach to help them achieve those goals. Certainly, everybody has communicated the opportunities that have been made available to them. You love to keep everyone intact. But, at the same time, I think that's part of a head coach's responsibility to help guys on the staff grow and achieve their goals as well."
On the idea of coaching staff continuity at MSU …
"I think we have a good administration. People understand this is a special place. They like our working environment, they like our kids, they like our trajectory. There's a lot of positive things going on. We've done a very good job of retention thus far and will continue to do so."
On comfortability with game plan against Iowa …
"We've essentially done the game plan from a weekly preparation standpoint one and a half times already. If we were to go on the field right now, we could operate everything we're going to do in the game. There will be some wrinkles we add down there, based off of film we watched today. We'll get together and fine-tune the game plan. But, if they set the ball down right now and kicked it off, I would feel comfortable with where we are at."
On injury updates heading into the bowl game …
"Outside of the guys who are out for the season, everyone has been back, healthy and practicing."
On reviewing the 2019 early signing period …
"I think from an identification and evaluation standpoint, we've talked about the things we've done and need to continue to do to make sure we are recruiting the right kind of guys from an athletic, grade and character standpoint. I feel good about that. I feel good about the relationships we've formed and cultivated with the coaches in the state, our primary recruiting areas and nationally as well as the reception we received on the road. I feel great about what we have to offer here at Mississippi State. I think it showed up in our class. If rankings are your thing, I think it's a pretty highly ranked class. Just as importantly, it's a class our staff feels comfortable with recruiting the type of guys we feel are great fits for our program."
On Outback Bowl activities during the trip …
"That was part of our hope and excitement and belief that this was the bowl game we were going to draw. Any time you can get a New Year's Day bowl it helps leading up to it. You can get a bunch of work in, cut them loose on Dec. 21. They get Christmas at home, then you're able to reconvene on Dec. 26. We'll have a full week's worth of preparation, starting with a football Sunday and then all the way up to game day. That's good from a continuity and a process standpoint. The way the bowl has been scheduled, I think it's conducive to compartmentalizing and taking advantage of the fun time and the football time. All the meetings and practices are scheduled in the morning and then all of the activities are scheduled for the second half of the day. Kids are going to get a little bit of the best of both worlds."
On Kylin Hill …
"He has very fresh legs. He looks good. I remarked to (running backs) coach (Charles) Huff today on the field in-between reps and when we were watching the film how Kylin looks really fresh and recovered. That's a positive. He was as frustrated as we were just past the midpoint of the season, battling some things and missing a few games. He was on pace to be a 1,000-yard rusher, and I know he's kind of still in that range. To get him healthy for the bowl game, I'm excited for him and for us."
On Jeffery Simmons declaring for the NFL Draft Thursday ….
"I don't want to say it was a forgone conclusion because I don't want to speak for him. From 20 years of coaching, when a young man has an opportunity to change his life by becoming a potential first-round pick, specifically a high first-round pick, my advice is to take advantage of that. You can always come back and get your degree. That's a life-changing opportunity.
"The discussions were all positive. No one, honestly, tried to give him a reason to come back. If he had wanted to, we would not have said no. Certainly, I think in his best interest, he made a great decision.
"I know it is different positions, but when you look at a guy like Saquan Barkley the past few years, who I was fortunate enough to coach him, and just talking about the measurables, productivity and intangibles, Jeffery is a unique mix of all three of those. He checks off all the boxes. When he goes to the NFL Combine and tests, he's going to blow those out of the water. When you get him on the board (defensive line) coach (Brian) Baker has done a great job teaching him the Xs and Os part of it. I think the rest of it, he'll do very well in any kind of question and answer sessions. I anticipate him doing very well when he gets to that component of the draft."
STARKVILLE – Joe Moorhead and the Mississippi State Bulldogs went through their final home practice Friday morning in preparation for the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida, on New Year's Day.
The 18th-ranked Bulldogs spent the past week preparing for their school-record ninth straight bowl game. Next week, the squad will head to Tampa on Dec. 26. MSU will hold its first Outback Bowl practice on site at Tampa Jesuit High School on Dec. 27. State takes on Iowa at noon ET/11 a.m. CT on Jan. 1 at Raymond James Stadium.
"If we were to go on the field right now, we could operate everything we're going to do in the game," Moorhead said during Friday's post-practice media session. "There will be some wrinkles we add down there, based off of film we watched today. We'll get together and fine-tune the game plan. But, if they set the ball down right now and kicked it off, I would feel comfortable with where we are at."
On Thursday afternoon, junior All-American defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons declared for the 2019 NFL Draft.
"For the past three years at Mississippi State, I have poured my heart into everything I did on the field, in the classroom and in the community," Simmons said in a letter published on HailState.com. "This place taught me to never give up, and it instilled a desire and work ethic to reach my ultimate goal."
Simmons, the anchor of the nation's best defense, will play his final game in Maroon and White in the upcoming Outback Bowl.
"You can feel the energy at practice," Simmons said. "We're ready to take that field one more time. Just the ability to take that field with those guys one more time is going to be one of the best feelings."
Simmons heads into his final college game with 159 career tackles, 30.0 for losses and 6.0 sacks. He is ranked 16th on ESPN draft expert Todd McShay's Top 32 prospects.
"Just talking about the measurables, productivity and intangibles, Jeffery is a unique mix of all three of those. He checks off all the boxes," Moorhead said. "When he goes to the NFL Combine and tests, he's going to blow those out of the water. When you get him on the board (defensive line) coach (Brian) Baker has done a great job teaching him the Xs and Os part of it. I think the rest of it, he'll do very well in any kind of question and answer sessions. I anticipate him doing very well when he gets to that component of the draft."
Below are quotes from Moorhead's media session:
Head Coach Joe Moorhead | December 21, 2018
On bowl camp …
"I think it's gone very well. I think we've put a good plan together. We kind of started off with developmental work, and then fundamentals and techniques for the older guys. We transitioned to half Iowa prep while continuing to do the developmental stuff. I think it's gone very well."
On academic eligibility for the bowl game …
"Everyone is going to play."
On 2019 signee quarterback Garrett Shrader practicing with the team the last two days …
"Kind of hard to get the offense installed in two days, so we gave him a handful of pass routes and got him in on a couple of 7-on-7s. He looked pretty sharp yesterday, but came out and had a rough stretch to start in his first few reps this morning. But, he finished with a good, strong throw.
Any time you can get a player, particularly at quarterback, a taste of what it's going to be like before they get here full time is very beneficial."
On if any more staff changes are expected …
"None have been communicated to me, and I certainly hope not. I understand the nature of the profession. I talked to guys about this during the year and as everything wrapped up. If there's opportunities for coaches to improve their situation personally, professionally and financially, I think that's part of my job as head coach to help them achieve those goals. Certainly, everybody has communicated the opportunities that have been made available to them. You love to keep everyone intact. But, at the same time, I think that's part of a head coach's responsibility to help guys on the staff grow and achieve their goals as well."
On the idea of coaching staff continuity at MSU …
"I think we have a good administration. People understand this is a special place. They like our working environment, they like our kids, they like our trajectory. There's a lot of positive things going on. We've done a very good job of retention thus far and will continue to do so."
On comfortability with game plan against Iowa …
"We've essentially done the game plan from a weekly preparation standpoint one and a half times already. If we were to go on the field right now, we could operate everything we're going to do in the game. There will be some wrinkles we add down there, based off of film we watched today. We'll get together and fine-tune the game plan. But, if they set the ball down right now and kicked it off, I would feel comfortable with where we are at."
On injury updates heading into the bowl game …
"Outside of the guys who are out for the season, everyone has been back, healthy and practicing."
On reviewing the 2019 early signing period …
"I think from an identification and evaluation standpoint, we've talked about the things we've done and need to continue to do to make sure we are recruiting the right kind of guys from an athletic, grade and character standpoint. I feel good about that. I feel good about the relationships we've formed and cultivated with the coaches in the state, our primary recruiting areas and nationally as well as the reception we received on the road. I feel great about what we have to offer here at Mississippi State. I think it showed up in our class. If rankings are your thing, I think it's a pretty highly ranked class. Just as importantly, it's a class our staff feels comfortable with recruiting the type of guys we feel are great fits for our program."
On Outback Bowl activities during the trip …
"That was part of our hope and excitement and belief that this was the bowl game we were going to draw. Any time you can get a New Year's Day bowl it helps leading up to it. You can get a bunch of work in, cut them loose on Dec. 21. They get Christmas at home, then you're able to reconvene on Dec. 26. We'll have a full week's worth of preparation, starting with a football Sunday and then all the way up to game day. That's good from a continuity and a process standpoint. The way the bowl has been scheduled, I think it's conducive to compartmentalizing and taking advantage of the fun time and the football time. All the meetings and practices are scheduled in the morning and then all of the activities are scheduled for the second half of the day. Kids are going to get a little bit of the best of both worlds."
On Kylin Hill …
"He has very fresh legs. He looks good. I remarked to (running backs) coach (Charles) Huff today on the field in-between reps and when we were watching the film how Kylin looks really fresh and recovered. That's a positive. He was as frustrated as we were just past the midpoint of the season, battling some things and missing a few games. He was on pace to be a 1,000-yard rusher, and I know he's kind of still in that range. To get him healthy for the bowl game, I'm excited for him and for us."
On Jeffery Simmons declaring for the NFL Draft Thursday ….
"I don't want to say it was a forgone conclusion because I don't want to speak for him. From 20 years of coaching, when a young man has an opportunity to change his life by becoming a potential first-round pick, specifically a high first-round pick, my advice is to take advantage of that. You can always come back and get your degree. That's a life-changing opportunity.
"The discussions were all positive. No one, honestly, tried to give him a reason to come back. If he had wanted to, we would not have said no. Certainly, I think in his best interest, he made a great decision.
"I know it is different positions, but when you look at a guy like Saquan Barkley the past few years, who I was fortunate enough to coach him, and just talking about the measurables, productivity and intangibles, Jeffery is a unique mix of all three of those. He checks off all the boxes. When he goes to the NFL Combine and tests, he's going to blow those out of the water. When you get him on the board (defensive line) coach (Brian) Baker has done a great job teaching him the Xs and Os part of it. I think the rest of it, he'll do very well in any kind of question and answer sessions. I anticipate him doing very well when he gets to that component of the draft."
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