Photo by: Blake Williams/MSU Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Head Coach Joe Moorhead (Sept. 14)
September 14, 2019 | Football
#23 Mississippi State vs. Kansas State
MSU Head Coach Joe Moorhead Opening Statement
September 14, 2019 | Davis Wade Stadium
JM: "First off, Coach [Chris] Klieman and his staff, that's a good football team. They were well prepared, and they did what we expected they were going to do, getting two backs, two tight ends and run the ball on you [with] a lot of play action. Defensively, I thought they did a good job trying to stop the run and keeping that thing contained. They did a good job mixing the looks up on the back side, and obviously made some key special teams plays. When you look at the construct of the game, we out gained them [in yardage] 352 to 269. The turnovers were a push. We won third down. Won the red zone. We're going to look back and see probably three or four plays on each phase, offense, defense and special teams, where we'll have to make sure we're making the right calls as a coaching staff. We make a good call when we don't question the players effort, but we have to make sure we're executing the plays at critical junctions of the games. Certainly, disappointed in the loss. We had some opportunities there in the second half to put the thing away, and we weren't able to do it. We have to come in tomorrow, crack the film, have a short memory and get ready to move on to our SEC opener."
Q: What was the reason Tommy Steven's didn't return in the second half?
JM: "When we went into half time, he started stiffening up a bit and didn't feel like he could make the throws he did in the first half. We decided to let him be."
Q: What did you see in Osirus Mitchell this game?
JM: "I think he had five [receptions] for 74 [yards]and another touchdown. He was able to swing the momentum there at the end of the first half. He got deep on the post route and was able to make some critical plays. He had good off-season preparation. He had a good game and is practicing really well. He reaped from the benefits today."
Q: What do you see in the special team plays?
JM: "There on the kickoff return, that was certainly a huge momentum changer. We made a play with the fumble that we got and made a big field goal there in the second half. There were certainly too many penalties. In the coverage game and the return game, we've got to make sure we're getting guys that are running down the field and covering and tackling and getting guys down on the ground. More than anything, I think the most important aspect of that was some of those penalties that were knocking us [backwards]. We're flipping field position and it was knocking us back and making it a very long field to drive."
Q: What's the status of [Cameron] Dantzler and Nick Gibson?
JM: "Dantzler is a lower-body [injury]. He didn't go much during the week. I though he may be able to go, but he just wasn't able to do it today. Nick Gibson is the same thing with the lower-body. He didn't do anything this week."
Q: When you see your quarterback, [Garrett Shrader], fly into the air, do you hold your breath a little bit?
JM: "I think Garrett [Shrader] played very hard. He did excellent in the run game and there's certainly things in the pass game that he needs to clean up. Particularly in the fourth-down area. We have to put the ball in the air more…he bounced up and he was fine. I was more upset that he didn't make the yardage than anything."
Q: How difficult is it to stop that momentum after that kickoff return from Kansas State?
JM: "It tied it up and I think defense made some good adjustments at half time. It's just that you go from being seven [points] up to tied, the momentum goes back the other way. You [have to] get them on the ground there. I think our defense is playing well. We had the opportunity to flip field position. They kicked off and I think we had a penalty on the return which backed us up back to shadow of our goal post. It's two back-to-back special team plays that hurt us."
Q: With 146 yards rushing there, did it seem like the whole defense interior line, especially Fabian Lovett and Jaden Crumedy, made some plays today? I know you have to watch the film, but what's your assessment right now?
JM: "It started off a little slow. Just looking at it, it was 35 rushes for 146 [yards]. Like I said, we made some adjustments in the second half, and brought a few extra numbers in the box maybe to get a little less pressure. I thought we came out in the second quarter and on, we did a better job stopping run."
Q: Now that you've played against Kansas State, how much different is it to you than last year?
JM: "I think they're probably different offensively from a schematic standpoint. Last year they were a lot of 11, some 10 looks. They were primarily two backs and two tight ends today, so a little bit of shift and scheme there. Defensively, coverages were different, but the style of play was the same. Kansas State has always been traditionally solid on special teams."
MSU Head Coach Joe Moorhead Opening Statement
September 14, 2019 | Davis Wade Stadium
JM: "First off, Coach [Chris] Klieman and his staff, that's a good football team. They were well prepared, and they did what we expected they were going to do, getting two backs, two tight ends and run the ball on you [with] a lot of play action. Defensively, I thought they did a good job trying to stop the run and keeping that thing contained. They did a good job mixing the looks up on the back side, and obviously made some key special teams plays. When you look at the construct of the game, we out gained them [in yardage] 352 to 269. The turnovers were a push. We won third down. Won the red zone. We're going to look back and see probably three or four plays on each phase, offense, defense and special teams, where we'll have to make sure we're making the right calls as a coaching staff. We make a good call when we don't question the players effort, but we have to make sure we're executing the plays at critical junctions of the games. Certainly, disappointed in the loss. We had some opportunities there in the second half to put the thing away, and we weren't able to do it. We have to come in tomorrow, crack the film, have a short memory and get ready to move on to our SEC opener."
Q: What was the reason Tommy Steven's didn't return in the second half?
JM: "When we went into half time, he started stiffening up a bit and didn't feel like he could make the throws he did in the first half. We decided to let him be."
Q: What did you see in Osirus Mitchell this game?
JM: "I think he had five [receptions] for 74 [yards]and another touchdown. He was able to swing the momentum there at the end of the first half. He got deep on the post route and was able to make some critical plays. He had good off-season preparation. He had a good game and is practicing really well. He reaped from the benefits today."
Q: What do you see in the special team plays?
JM: "There on the kickoff return, that was certainly a huge momentum changer. We made a play with the fumble that we got and made a big field goal there in the second half. There were certainly too many penalties. In the coverage game and the return game, we've got to make sure we're getting guys that are running down the field and covering and tackling and getting guys down on the ground. More than anything, I think the most important aspect of that was some of those penalties that were knocking us [backwards]. We're flipping field position and it was knocking us back and making it a very long field to drive."
Q: What's the status of [Cameron] Dantzler and Nick Gibson?
JM: "Dantzler is a lower-body [injury]. He didn't go much during the week. I though he may be able to go, but he just wasn't able to do it today. Nick Gibson is the same thing with the lower-body. He didn't do anything this week."
Q: When you see your quarterback, [Garrett Shrader], fly into the air, do you hold your breath a little bit?
JM: "I think Garrett [Shrader] played very hard. He did excellent in the run game and there's certainly things in the pass game that he needs to clean up. Particularly in the fourth-down area. We have to put the ball in the air more…he bounced up and he was fine. I was more upset that he didn't make the yardage than anything."
Q: How difficult is it to stop that momentum after that kickoff return from Kansas State?
JM: "It tied it up and I think defense made some good adjustments at half time. It's just that you go from being seven [points] up to tied, the momentum goes back the other way. You [have to] get them on the ground there. I think our defense is playing well. We had the opportunity to flip field position. They kicked off and I think we had a penalty on the return which backed us up back to shadow of our goal post. It's two back-to-back special team plays that hurt us."
Q: With 146 yards rushing there, did it seem like the whole defense interior line, especially Fabian Lovett and Jaden Crumedy, made some plays today? I know you have to watch the film, but what's your assessment right now?
JM: "It started off a little slow. Just looking at it, it was 35 rushes for 146 [yards]. Like I said, we made some adjustments in the second half, and brought a few extra numbers in the box maybe to get a little less pressure. I thought we came out in the second quarter and on, we did a better job stopping run."
Q: Now that you've played against Kansas State, how much different is it to you than last year?
JM: "I think they're probably different offensively from a schematic standpoint. Last year they were a lot of 11, some 10 looks. They were primarily two backs and two tight ends today, so a little bit of shift and scheme there. Defensively, coverages were different, but the style of play was the same. Kansas State has always been traditionally solid on special teams."
Players Mentioned
DT
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RB
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WR
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QB
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