Moorhead's Bulldogs are riding momentum into the program's second Music City Bowl appearance.
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
'Urgency, Energy' Mark Start of Music City Bowl Prep
December 14, 2019 | Football
by Bill Martin, Senior Associate Athletic Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Preparations for Mississippi State football's school-record 10th consecutive bowl game are underway as Joe Moorhead's Bulldogs returned to practice Friday evening before going through another workout on Saturday at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex.
MSU (6-6) takes on Louisville (7-5) in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 in Nashville. Kickoff for the contest is 3 p.m. CT live on ESPN from Nissan Stadium.
The Bulldogs are riding a wave of momentum into bowl prep having captured three of their last four games, including their second straight Battle for the Golden Egg. True freshman quarterback Garrett Shrader, who rushed for two touchdowns on Thanksgiving night, has been taking reps with the first team in a practice filled with a sense of urgency said Moorhead.
"We had a ton of energy, a ton of urgency, great competition, developmental nature and giving the younger guys a bunch of reps," Moorhead said. "All and all it was energizing to get back on the field with a ton of urgency. The kids are excited for this game, and so is the coaching staff. There are 17 days before the game, and we are going to utilize every one of them."
Friday was graduation day on the MSU campus, and Moorhead allowed those participating in commencement to enjoy the day with their families.
"The game can end, the ball can deflate, the pads can hang up and the cheering stops, but when you have that piece of paper in a frame, you can hang up on a wall," he said. "My dad, my brother, sister and I were all first-generation college [students]. You know he would always call the college degree the great equalizer in life. To see those guys have that makes us all very proud."
State will practice next week in Starkville before departing for Nashville on Christmas Day.
Tickets for the Music City Bowl are available at HailState.com/bowltickets. Fans who purchase tickets from MSU's official team block through the MSU Athletic Ticket Office will have the opportunity to attend one spring practice at a date and time to be announced, followed by free food and an exclusive appearance to hear from Moorhead.
Those same fans who purchase from the MSU Athletic Ticket Office will receive three Bulldog Club priority points per ticket and 50 percent off a ticket to the alumni tailgate featuring a meet-and-greet with Bulldog legends at the Wildhorse Saloon from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on gameday.
Head Coach Joe Moorhead
Opening Statement
"Big day for us. We had our senior class graduate today. To see those guys head on over to The Hump and have their cap and gowns on and get their degree to me was primary importance. The game can end, the ball can deflate, the pads can hang up and the cheering stops, but when you have that piece of paper in a frame, you can hang up on a wall. My dad, my brother, my sister and I were all first-generation college [students]. You know he would always call the college degree the great equalizer in life. To see those guys have that makes us all very proud. Traditionally, we've given those guys off the day. We went out and practiced today for bowl practice No. 2 and had a heck of a day. We had a ton of energy, ton of urgency, great competition, developmental nature and giving the younger guys a bunch of reps. All and all it was energizing to get back on the field with a ton of urgency. The kids are excited for this game, and so is the coaching staff. There are 17 days before the game, and we are going to utilize every one of them."
Q: Is the urgency that is carried out in practice a good thing?
JM: "Absolutely in terms of the momentum. One of the old coaches I used to work for, Larry Coyer, he would always give a rodeo reference. He said you can't ride them in the chutes. So, you know we don't want to necessarily ready too quickly, but when the gates open, we want to be ready to roll. It is great to carry that momentum into bowl practice"
Q: Are you approaching this bowl game any differently this year than last year?
JM: "I've made some kind of structural changes to the practice schedule and things like that. I've added a little more developmental stuff for the redshirts and younger guys to give them some reps. I've kind of mixed up the game preparation, but the basic structure of it is the same. We wanted to work in a little more developmental stuff, and quite frankly, we are going put on the pads more often and be a little more physical and bang around a little bit more. Those would be the two biggest changes."
Q: How will you handle quarterback reps?
JM: "Bowl practice? Garrett [Shrader] is going with the ones. Tommy [Stevens] is going with the twos."
Q: Are both Tommy Stevens and Garrett Shrader 100 percent?
JM: "Garrett is and Tommy is getting there."
Q: Any other injuries to report?
JM: "No actually we've gotten guys healthy. [Jaden] Crumedy is the one that is still kind of lingering, and we anticipate him back on Monday."
Q: How much familiarity do you have with Louisville Coach Scott Satterfield?
JM: "Very familiar. When I was at Akron and Coach [Satterfield] was the OC at Appalachian State, for Coach [Jerry] Moore I believe. You know we were kind of transitioning to that style of offence. It was something that they had run and he came up to visit us at Akron. We spent a day doing professional development. I think the world of him as a person and as a coach. He's done a great job with that and obviously he's done a fantastic job with the turnaround this year. I have the upmost respect for Coach Satterfield and his staff. He's a great guy and very good coach."
Q: What were the conversations like with guys declaring for the NFL Draft?
JM: "It's ultimately our job as a coaching staff to provide the young men with information such as their draft grade, who are the people coming out of their position - upper classmen and underclassmen - and see where they rank within that. Once they have the information, allow them and their families to make the decision what they feel is the best interest of their futures. Certainly, they have done a ton for Mississippi State, and we wish them the best move forward. I think it is credit to those guys that they have that opportunity."
Q: How rewarding is it that Kylin Hill still intends to play in the bowl game?
JM: "It's great. To be a little less than 50 yards away from breaking the school single-season rushing record and that's quite a feat. I know coming out of last year, going into this year the question was how can we get Kylin [Hill] more carries and how we can get him more involved in the offense. That's gratifying because he and I talked about the little notecard and 1,500 yards. I think we might be able to get there, hopefully. Just to see him come out and have that type of year and be on the cusp of breaking Boobie's [Anthony Dixon] record, who had an unbelievable year and all the great backs who have played at Mississippi State. That has really carried on the tradition of what tailbacks in this offensive system have done over the years. It is great to see Kylin next in the line. "
Q: Have any more guys asked you about draft evaluations?
JM: "We applied for Erroll [Thompson], Willie [Gay Jr.], Kylin [Hill], Cam [Dantzler], and then Marquiss Spencer was the fifth because you're allowed five."
Q: Do you anticipate any other guys declaring?
JM: "Declaring? We have not gotten the draft grades back yet. We have talked to all the guys once they come in. We've already had one meeting in anticipation of them coming and kind of discussed the available information. Once the grades do come in, and they come in on a rolling basis, we have another plan to get back together with the kids and their families if they are available. We will help them make an informed decision."
Q: Do you consult with the guys going into the draft about playing in the bowl game. Or do you just leave it in their hands?
JM: "Generally speaking if you have to convince a kid to play in the game then he should probably move on, but I went back and had one of our guys, Will Reimann, do some research. Three seasons ago, three guys. Two seasons ago, right around 15 to 16 guys that didn't play in the bowl game. I think last year it was 17 or 18. We then rank that with what rounds they went in. Once again, that's information that we provide. I understand it. Kids need to make a decision that's in their best interest, and we have to also be mindful to the guys that we have on the team for the game that we have to win."
Q: How is recruiting going?
JM: "It's been a blast. It's awesome. We've dominated it. You know, working hard to keep our third consecutive Top 25 class intact. Been to all four corners of the state and a bunch others. Highways, dirt roads, Delta, Coast. It's been awesome. We've had great reception from the coaches. Great reception from the coaches, kids, and their parents and quite frankly, every gas station you pop in or store to get a diet Dew and a bag of chips, there is maroon and white everywhere and the fans have so much excitement coming off the Egg Bowl win. Getting to six (wins) and getting to our 10th consecutive bowl, to a person, everyone that I see says, coach keep it up, great job we love what you are doing. We share that excitement as well."
Q: What energy do you think the cowbells add?
JM: "When you've been to Davis Wade and have the atmosphere cranking kind of like we did at the Egg Bowl game, and we had a ton of recruits there. Just to hear what they had to say afterwards, you would get them on the phone and they would say it was an atmosphere unlike any other and loud as it has ever been. Our fans, particularly when we are at home and the Dawg Walk was cranking, you could tell from when you walked in the stadium at the Dawg Walk how fired up the fans were going to be. Certainly, the course of the game led to them being even more excited and then the ending. That's why it's an unrivaled place in terms of fan support and emotion and energy for a game at Davis Wade."
Q: Do you plan to use the redshirts during the bowl game?
JM: "We plan to have them available. There is a certain number of green light, red light, yellow light. There are guys that have played before, and we are going to hold those guys to keep the redshirt, but there are others that are available and it is really going to be a practice evaluation and see where they fit in. If it is a game situation and we can get them in, great, but to me our first and primary objective is to make sure we win the game."
Q: You got to ride a horse on a recruiting visit. What was that like?
JM: "I had ridden one at a beach somewhere when we were on vacation, but it was like one of those little Neshoba Country Fair little ponies. Kind of like a Shetland pony. There was an array of ones to pick from. Let's say this, it wasn't as small as it looked. My sister texted me and said I needed to get a bigger horse. I mean I'm 6-foot-6 that thing wasn't exactly tiny. It was scary and fun. I want to do it again. Johnthan Banks has offered his services, and we have to make sure he keeps me safe."
Q: Do you anticipate any staff changes?
JM: "Right now we are focused on preparation, development, and getting ready for Louisville. When the game ends, there is a period of time post bowl and pre convention where I will sit down and do refection, make evaluations on everyone on the staff and within the program and make decisions that are necessary from there."
Q: How will you replace Kylin Hill?
JM: "As we head into the bowl game, you have Kylin [Hill] and Nick [Gibson] has been a phenomenal asset to us. We plan to get him cranked up in the bowl game with it being his last game. Kind of use Kylin and him as a one-two punch. Lee Witherspoon is tremendous talent. We have seen that during flashes of practice and during the games. Kareem Walker, was the No. 1 or No. 2 ranked running back coming out of high school. He is a big, strong, physical presence. We saw some nice things out there today at practice. He gives the defense fits on the scout team, and we have couple of good ones coming in with the recruiting class. We'll be ready to roll."
Q: Have you had a chance to think about what your team has accomplished during November?
JM: "I remark to the guys about that all the time. You know, talked about it heading into the game and certainly coming out of it, you talk about our goals heading into the season and the ceiling and the floor. We had a winning home record, a winning non-conference record, kept the Egg Bowl [trophy], and got bowl eligible. We have the chance to get to seven wins. Now, certainly that is not where we want to be, and we aspire to higher and greater things like winning the SEC and competing for a national championship, but you cannot discount the amount of adversity that we fought through this season. Once again, the people that I see out in the state and the fans, and the people who write letters and send cards, my peers and say we graduated eight of 11 on defense and then whatever it was, six of 11 on offense. Particularly, three first rounders and then the suspensions and then the injuries. For you guys to fight, scratch and claw and at the point where we were 3-5 and needed to win three of our last four to get bowl eligible. If a team doesn't have a great culture and they don't believe, they very easily could have folded at that juncture of the season. But, for us to come back and win three out of four, including the Egg Bowl, I think that speaks volumes for our seniors, our leaders, our coaching staff and our young guys that we are able to make that rally late in the season."
Q: How much does this extra month of practice help?
JM: "We did more 7-on-7s than team's last year. Now we are letting the guys put the pads on and let them bang against each other. It's great because you can have a two-fold focus where you want to get the work of the young kids, developing them, but the same time concentrating on bowl preparation. Today and tomorrow are just going to be strictly developmental practices. We will game plan tomorrow and all day Sunday. Monday, when we come in, it will be a first and second down day for Louisville also in conjunction with developmental stuff. We talked about changing up the practice schedule a little bit.
STARKVILLE – Preparations for Mississippi State football's school-record 10th consecutive bowl game are underway as Joe Moorhead's Bulldogs returned to practice Friday evening before going through another workout on Saturday at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex.
MSU (6-6) takes on Louisville (7-5) in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 in Nashville. Kickoff for the contest is 3 p.m. CT live on ESPN from Nissan Stadium.
The Bulldogs are riding a wave of momentum into bowl prep having captured three of their last four games, including their second straight Battle for the Golden Egg. True freshman quarterback Garrett Shrader, who rushed for two touchdowns on Thanksgiving night, has been taking reps with the first team in a practice filled with a sense of urgency said Moorhead.
"We had a ton of energy, a ton of urgency, great competition, developmental nature and giving the younger guys a bunch of reps," Moorhead said. "All and all it was energizing to get back on the field with a ton of urgency. The kids are excited for this game, and so is the coaching staff. There are 17 days before the game, and we are going to utilize every one of them."
Friday was graduation day on the MSU campus, and Moorhead allowed those participating in commencement to enjoy the day with their families.
"The game can end, the ball can deflate, the pads can hang up and the cheering stops, but when you have that piece of paper in a frame, you can hang up on a wall," he said. "My dad, my brother, sister and I were all first-generation college [students]. You know he would always call the college degree the great equalizer in life. To see those guys have that makes us all very proud."
State will practice next week in Starkville before departing for Nashville on Christmas Day.
Tickets for the Music City Bowl are available at HailState.com/bowltickets. Fans who purchase tickets from MSU's official team block through the MSU Athletic Ticket Office will have the opportunity to attend one spring practice at a date and time to be announced, followed by free food and an exclusive appearance to hear from Moorhead.
Those same fans who purchase from the MSU Athletic Ticket Office will receive three Bulldog Club priority points per ticket and 50 percent off a ticket to the alumni tailgate featuring a meet-and-greet with Bulldog legends at the Wildhorse Saloon from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on gameday.
Head Coach Joe Moorhead
Opening Statement
"Big day for us. We had our senior class graduate today. To see those guys head on over to The Hump and have their cap and gowns on and get their degree to me was primary importance. The game can end, the ball can deflate, the pads can hang up and the cheering stops, but when you have that piece of paper in a frame, you can hang up on a wall. My dad, my brother, my sister and I were all first-generation college [students]. You know he would always call the college degree the great equalizer in life. To see those guys have that makes us all very proud. Traditionally, we've given those guys off the day. We went out and practiced today for bowl practice No. 2 and had a heck of a day. We had a ton of energy, ton of urgency, great competition, developmental nature and giving the younger guys a bunch of reps. All and all it was energizing to get back on the field with a ton of urgency. The kids are excited for this game, and so is the coaching staff. There are 17 days before the game, and we are going to utilize every one of them."
Q: Is the urgency that is carried out in practice a good thing?
JM: "Absolutely in terms of the momentum. One of the old coaches I used to work for, Larry Coyer, he would always give a rodeo reference. He said you can't ride them in the chutes. So, you know we don't want to necessarily ready too quickly, but when the gates open, we want to be ready to roll. It is great to carry that momentum into bowl practice"
Q: Are you approaching this bowl game any differently this year than last year?
JM: "I've made some kind of structural changes to the practice schedule and things like that. I've added a little more developmental stuff for the redshirts and younger guys to give them some reps. I've kind of mixed up the game preparation, but the basic structure of it is the same. We wanted to work in a little more developmental stuff, and quite frankly, we are going put on the pads more often and be a little more physical and bang around a little bit more. Those would be the two biggest changes."
Q: How will you handle quarterback reps?
JM: "Bowl practice? Garrett [Shrader] is going with the ones. Tommy [Stevens] is going with the twos."
Q: Are both Tommy Stevens and Garrett Shrader 100 percent?
JM: "Garrett is and Tommy is getting there."
Q: Any other injuries to report?
JM: "No actually we've gotten guys healthy. [Jaden] Crumedy is the one that is still kind of lingering, and we anticipate him back on Monday."
Q: How much familiarity do you have with Louisville Coach Scott Satterfield?
JM: "Very familiar. When I was at Akron and Coach [Satterfield] was the OC at Appalachian State, for Coach [Jerry] Moore I believe. You know we were kind of transitioning to that style of offence. It was something that they had run and he came up to visit us at Akron. We spent a day doing professional development. I think the world of him as a person and as a coach. He's done a great job with that and obviously he's done a fantastic job with the turnaround this year. I have the upmost respect for Coach Satterfield and his staff. He's a great guy and very good coach."
Q: What were the conversations like with guys declaring for the NFL Draft?
JM: "It's ultimately our job as a coaching staff to provide the young men with information such as their draft grade, who are the people coming out of their position - upper classmen and underclassmen - and see where they rank within that. Once they have the information, allow them and their families to make the decision what they feel is the best interest of their futures. Certainly, they have done a ton for Mississippi State, and we wish them the best move forward. I think it is credit to those guys that they have that opportunity."
Q: How rewarding is it that Kylin Hill still intends to play in the bowl game?
JM: "It's great. To be a little less than 50 yards away from breaking the school single-season rushing record and that's quite a feat. I know coming out of last year, going into this year the question was how can we get Kylin [Hill] more carries and how we can get him more involved in the offense. That's gratifying because he and I talked about the little notecard and 1,500 yards. I think we might be able to get there, hopefully. Just to see him come out and have that type of year and be on the cusp of breaking Boobie's [Anthony Dixon] record, who had an unbelievable year and all the great backs who have played at Mississippi State. That has really carried on the tradition of what tailbacks in this offensive system have done over the years. It is great to see Kylin next in the line. "
Q: Have any more guys asked you about draft evaluations?
JM: "We applied for Erroll [Thompson], Willie [Gay Jr.], Kylin [Hill], Cam [Dantzler], and then Marquiss Spencer was the fifth because you're allowed five."
Q: Do you anticipate any other guys declaring?
JM: "Declaring? We have not gotten the draft grades back yet. We have talked to all the guys once they come in. We've already had one meeting in anticipation of them coming and kind of discussed the available information. Once the grades do come in, and they come in on a rolling basis, we have another plan to get back together with the kids and their families if they are available. We will help them make an informed decision."
Q: Do you consult with the guys going into the draft about playing in the bowl game. Or do you just leave it in their hands?
JM: "Generally speaking if you have to convince a kid to play in the game then he should probably move on, but I went back and had one of our guys, Will Reimann, do some research. Three seasons ago, three guys. Two seasons ago, right around 15 to 16 guys that didn't play in the bowl game. I think last year it was 17 or 18. We then rank that with what rounds they went in. Once again, that's information that we provide. I understand it. Kids need to make a decision that's in their best interest, and we have to also be mindful to the guys that we have on the team for the game that we have to win."
Q: How is recruiting going?
JM: "It's been a blast. It's awesome. We've dominated it. You know, working hard to keep our third consecutive Top 25 class intact. Been to all four corners of the state and a bunch others. Highways, dirt roads, Delta, Coast. It's been awesome. We've had great reception from the coaches. Great reception from the coaches, kids, and their parents and quite frankly, every gas station you pop in or store to get a diet Dew and a bag of chips, there is maroon and white everywhere and the fans have so much excitement coming off the Egg Bowl win. Getting to six (wins) and getting to our 10th consecutive bowl, to a person, everyone that I see says, coach keep it up, great job we love what you are doing. We share that excitement as well."
Q: What energy do you think the cowbells add?
JM: "When you've been to Davis Wade and have the atmosphere cranking kind of like we did at the Egg Bowl game, and we had a ton of recruits there. Just to hear what they had to say afterwards, you would get them on the phone and they would say it was an atmosphere unlike any other and loud as it has ever been. Our fans, particularly when we are at home and the Dawg Walk was cranking, you could tell from when you walked in the stadium at the Dawg Walk how fired up the fans were going to be. Certainly, the course of the game led to them being even more excited and then the ending. That's why it's an unrivaled place in terms of fan support and emotion and energy for a game at Davis Wade."
Q: Do you plan to use the redshirts during the bowl game?
JM: "We plan to have them available. There is a certain number of green light, red light, yellow light. There are guys that have played before, and we are going to hold those guys to keep the redshirt, but there are others that are available and it is really going to be a practice evaluation and see where they fit in. If it is a game situation and we can get them in, great, but to me our first and primary objective is to make sure we win the game."
Q: You got to ride a horse on a recruiting visit. What was that like?
JM: "I had ridden one at a beach somewhere when we were on vacation, but it was like one of those little Neshoba Country Fair little ponies. Kind of like a Shetland pony. There was an array of ones to pick from. Let's say this, it wasn't as small as it looked. My sister texted me and said I needed to get a bigger horse. I mean I'm 6-foot-6 that thing wasn't exactly tiny. It was scary and fun. I want to do it again. Johnthan Banks has offered his services, and we have to make sure he keeps me safe."
Q: Do you anticipate any staff changes?
JM: "Right now we are focused on preparation, development, and getting ready for Louisville. When the game ends, there is a period of time post bowl and pre convention where I will sit down and do refection, make evaluations on everyone on the staff and within the program and make decisions that are necessary from there."
Q: How will you replace Kylin Hill?
JM: "As we head into the bowl game, you have Kylin [Hill] and Nick [Gibson] has been a phenomenal asset to us. We plan to get him cranked up in the bowl game with it being his last game. Kind of use Kylin and him as a one-two punch. Lee Witherspoon is tremendous talent. We have seen that during flashes of practice and during the games. Kareem Walker, was the No. 1 or No. 2 ranked running back coming out of high school. He is a big, strong, physical presence. We saw some nice things out there today at practice. He gives the defense fits on the scout team, and we have couple of good ones coming in with the recruiting class. We'll be ready to roll."
Q: Have you had a chance to think about what your team has accomplished during November?
JM: "I remark to the guys about that all the time. You know, talked about it heading into the game and certainly coming out of it, you talk about our goals heading into the season and the ceiling and the floor. We had a winning home record, a winning non-conference record, kept the Egg Bowl [trophy], and got bowl eligible. We have the chance to get to seven wins. Now, certainly that is not where we want to be, and we aspire to higher and greater things like winning the SEC and competing for a national championship, but you cannot discount the amount of adversity that we fought through this season. Once again, the people that I see out in the state and the fans, and the people who write letters and send cards, my peers and say we graduated eight of 11 on defense and then whatever it was, six of 11 on offense. Particularly, three first rounders and then the suspensions and then the injuries. For you guys to fight, scratch and claw and at the point where we were 3-5 and needed to win three of our last four to get bowl eligible. If a team doesn't have a great culture and they don't believe, they very easily could have folded at that juncture of the season. But, for us to come back and win three out of four, including the Egg Bowl, I think that speaks volumes for our seniors, our leaders, our coaching staff and our young guys that we are able to make that rally late in the season."
Q: How much does this extra month of practice help?
JM: "We did more 7-on-7s than team's last year. Now we are letting the guys put the pads on and let them bang against each other. It's great because you can have a two-fold focus where you want to get the work of the young kids, developing them, but the same time concentrating on bowl preparation. Today and tomorrow are just going to be strictly developmental practices. We will game plan tomorrow and all day Sunday. Monday, when we come in, it will be a first and second down day for Louisville also in conjunction with developmental stuff. We talked about changing up the practice schedule a little bit.
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DE
/ Football
QB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ FootballFOOTBALL | 2026 Spring Practice Media Session - Jeff Lebby
Thursday, April 16
FOOTBALL | 2026 Spring Practice Media Session - Kamario Taylor
Saturday, April 11
FOOTBALL | 2026 Spring Practice Media Session - Kelley Jones
Saturday, April 11
FOOTBALL | 2026 Spring Practice Media Session - Jeff Lebby
Saturday, April 11