Joe Moorhead enters year two at Mississippi State.
Back to Football: Moorhead's Bulldogs Open Spring Practice Tuesday
March 04, 2019 | Football
by Bill Martin, Associate Athletic Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Spring football practice has arrived in Starkville for the second year of the Joe Moorhead era at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs, fresh off a No. 25 final national ranking and New Year's Day bowl berth, will go through spring drills Tuesday and Thursday afternoon to kick off the first week at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex.
The practices are closed to the public. Moorhead will address the media after practice, and full video and a transcript will be available on HailState.com.
State has spent the past two months conditioning under the direction of new head strength and conditioning coach Cory Bichey, who served in the assistant role during the 2018 campaign and owns six years of Southeastern Conference experience. Moorhead also tabbed five new assistant coaches who bring excellent resumes to Starkville.
The Bulldogs return over 50 letterwinners and several key names, including All-SEC performers linebacker Erroll Thompson and cornerback Cameron Dantzler, in addition to running back Kylin Hill and offensive lineman Darryl Williams, who is projected as one of the top lineman in college football in 2019.
Hill put up 82.7 all-purpose yards per game last season and returns as the starter. Moorhead will have several talented faces to work with under center led by junior quarterback Keytaon Thompson, who is 2-0 as a starter with 18 career touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Jalen Mayden and true freshman Garrett Shrader – both four-star prospects when they arrived – will also work extensively this spring.
Defensively, State will have continuity at the playcaller position for the first time since 2014 as 2018 Broyles Award finalist and National Defensive Coordinator of the Year Bob Shoop enters his second year with the program. Shoop's unit allowed a nation-best 263.1 yards per game and only 4.13 yards per play. Four out of the top eight tacklers return from a year ago led by Erroll Thompson's 87 tackles.
Moorhead enters year two in Starkville after becoming just the second MSU head coach to win eight or more games in his debut season and the first since College Football Hall of Famer Allyn McKeen in 1939. Moorhead was also just the second coach in Bulldog history to reach a bowl game in his first season, joining Jackie Sherrill's 1991 squad. In 2018 and behind one of the SEC's most potent rushing attacks and the nation's No. 1 defense, the Bulldogs defeated two top-20 teams, won four out of their last five regular season games and qualified for a school-record ninth consecutive bowl.
Moorhead's group will practice twice this week, take off for spring break and then return for four consecutive weeks of spring ball that culminates with the annual Maroon and White Game as part of Super Bulldog Weekend on Saturday, April 13. Kickoff is 1 p.m. and admission to Davis Wade Stadium is free.
Season ticket renewals for the 2019 season are available now at HailState.com/tickets. The deadline for renewals is March 29.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU football on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB."
2019 MSU Football Spring Practice Dates
Tuesday, March 5
Thursday, March 7
Thursday, March 21
Saturday, March 23
Tuesday, March 26
Thursday, March 28
Saturday, March 30
Tuesday, April 2
Thursday, April 4
Saturday, April 6
Tuesday, April 9
Thursday, April 11
Friday, April 12
Saturday, April 13 – Maroon and White Spring Game
STARKVILLE – Spring football practice has arrived in Starkville for the second year of the Joe Moorhead era at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs, fresh off a No. 25 final national ranking and New Year's Day bowl berth, will go through spring drills Tuesday and Thursday afternoon to kick off the first week at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex.
The practices are closed to the public. Moorhead will address the media after practice, and full video and a transcript will be available on HailState.com.
State has spent the past two months conditioning under the direction of new head strength and conditioning coach Cory Bichey, who served in the assistant role during the 2018 campaign and owns six years of Southeastern Conference experience. Moorhead also tabbed five new assistant coaches who bring excellent resumes to Starkville.
The Bulldogs return over 50 letterwinners and several key names, including All-SEC performers linebacker Erroll Thompson and cornerback Cameron Dantzler, in addition to running back Kylin Hill and offensive lineman Darryl Williams, who is projected as one of the top lineman in college football in 2019.
Hill put up 82.7 all-purpose yards per game last season and returns as the starter. Moorhead will have several talented faces to work with under center led by junior quarterback Keytaon Thompson, who is 2-0 as a starter with 18 career touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Jalen Mayden and true freshman Garrett Shrader – both four-star prospects when they arrived – will also work extensively this spring.
Defensively, State will have continuity at the playcaller position for the first time since 2014 as 2018 Broyles Award finalist and National Defensive Coordinator of the Year Bob Shoop enters his second year with the program. Shoop's unit allowed a nation-best 263.1 yards per game and only 4.13 yards per play. Four out of the top eight tacklers return from a year ago led by Erroll Thompson's 87 tackles.
Moorhead enters year two in Starkville after becoming just the second MSU head coach to win eight or more games in his debut season and the first since College Football Hall of Famer Allyn McKeen in 1939. Moorhead was also just the second coach in Bulldog history to reach a bowl game in his first season, joining Jackie Sherrill's 1991 squad. In 2018 and behind one of the SEC's most potent rushing attacks and the nation's No. 1 defense, the Bulldogs defeated two top-20 teams, won four out of their last five regular season games and qualified for a school-record ninth consecutive bowl.
Moorhead's group will practice twice this week, take off for spring break and then return for four consecutive weeks of spring ball that culminates with the annual Maroon and White Game as part of Super Bulldog Weekend on Saturday, April 13. Kickoff is 1 p.m. and admission to Davis Wade Stadium is free.
Season ticket renewals for the 2019 season are available now at HailState.com/tickets. The deadline for renewals is March 29.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU football on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB."
2019 MSU Football Spring Practice Dates
Tuesday, March 5
Thursday, March 7
Thursday, March 21
Saturday, March 23
Tuesday, March 26
Thursday, March 28
Saturday, March 30
Tuesday, April 2
Thursday, April 4
Saturday, April 6
Tuesday, April 9
Thursday, April 11
Friday, April 12
Saturday, April 13 – Maroon and White Spring Game
Players Mentioned
CB
/ FootballRB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
QB
/ FootballLB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
OL
/ FootballFOOTBALL | Trevion Williams Game Week vs. Northern Illinois Media Session
Monday, September 15
FOOTBALL | Blake Shapen Game Week vs. Northern Illinois Media Session
Monday, September 15
FOOTBALL | Branden Jennings Game Week vs. Northern Illinois Media Session
Monday, September 15
FOOTBALL | Jacoby Jackson Game Week vs. Northern Illinois Media Session
Monday, September 15