Starkville- Mississippi State opens up its 2022 season on Saturday in a revenge game with the Memphis Tigers.
Last season didn’t go as planned for Mike Leach’s squad, and they’ll need to improve on these aspects in order to come away with a win.
1) Protect the Football
A quick look at the box score of last year's Mississippi State-Memphis matchup would lead one to believe that the Bulldogs dominated as they outgained the Tigers 468-246. That didn't end up being the case, as Memphis came out on top by a score of 31-29
A large part of that was the inability to protect the football. A fumble by Jo'quavious Marks on the opening drive led to a 49-yard scoop and score by Memphis defensive back Sanchez Blake to give the Tigers a quick 7-0 lead. In a game where the Bulldogs are favored by 16 points, giving Memphis extra possessions would be the recipe for an upset.
2) Special Teams Fundamentals
It's no secret that special teams were a disaster for Mississippi State last season. The three missed field goals against Arkansas, the personal foul on a punt against LSU, and of course, the Calvin Austin punt return by Memphis all swayed the Bulldogs' season in a negative.
Whether the officials were to blame or not, Mississippi State can't allow these mistakes to happen if they want to be successful. The hope is that Eric Mele moving from Running Backs Coach to Special Teams Coordinator and the addition of Coastal Carolina kicker transfer Massimo Biscardi will help fix these issues.
3) Protect Will Rogers
Mississippi State has two new starters at the tackle positions, with Charles Cross beginning his professional career with the Seahawks and Scott Lashley taking a graduate assistant role. Kwatrivous "Dolla Bill" Johnson makes the switch from right guard to left tackle, and the right side could also feature a converted in Kameron Jones as he is battling out redshirt freshman Albert Reese IV.
Week one will be a true test for Mississippi State's biggest question marks as the Tigers return its sack leader in Jaylon Allen and bring in an Ohio State transfer in Cormontae Hamilton to start at defensive end.
