Quick Acknowledgment to the Power Run Guys

[ZombieKissinger]

I've made no secret of being a Leach fan from the beginning. He was my favorite coach well before he got to Mississippi State, and I'd even watched a bunch of his games on YouTube where he'd lost to teams dropping 8, and I still thought his scheme would work against those teams. I was very optimistic about the hire, and even posted something to that effect when we got crushed by Bama last year. Saying all that to make it clear that I'm biased in wanting this work out.

But... I used to love watching us run all over people. It was so fun when you felt like the defense was tired in the 3rd and 4th quarters and there was nothing they could do to stop you. I didn't love it aesthetically necessarily, but I love the feeling that your offense is going to score no matter what. That's what the second half felt like yesterday. It reminded me of that 2000 game against Florida where we ran for like 350 yards and Florida couldn't do anything about it. I get that there's more to wanting a power run game than just making the defense look helpless, but that's the biggest part for me and it was fun watching it yesterday.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

Put me in the category of initially loving the hire. Then having some doubts, getting a little excited, then having a few more doubts, then not caring, then getting excited, then getting really excited, then having doubts, then getting my nuts stuck on the fence I was riding, and finally finding ultimate peace after gently removing my sack from the chain link after the Kentucky game.

It's going to work. There will be a game or two where it all falls apart because of drops, bad day at the office from the QB, etc. We still don't have a solid four quarters of consistency on offense and that seems to have a lot to do with one or two guys on the OL. But that is pretty much everybody these days. Everyone relies on a passing attack and all of it's warts.

The biggest thing none of us talk about enough is the time of possession. A hallmark of power running and apparently the air raid against today's defeses. When Leach was at Tech, they were usually in the bottom 15-20 in the country in time of possession. This left the defense on the field and exposed. It was Tech's Achilles heel. We are currently number 7 in the country in time of possession and have a huge lead of nearly 2:00 per game over the number 2 team in the SEC... Alabama.

This TOP advantage is going to be huge long-term for our defense. We don't have to have 12+ 4-5* defensive lineman if the defense is only on the field for 25 minutes a game. I think Arnett can build a really good, attacking defense like we had in the 90's. It was obvious yesterday by watching the entirety of the game that Bo Nix came out smoking hot and a few coverages we're blown early, but Arnett out a pin in that **** halfway through the 2nd quarter.

The defense absolutely pulled it together and shut Auburn down in the second half. The 3-3-5 is THE defense of Mississippi State football. The creator perfected it at Mississippi State in the late 90's. It takes different types of guys to make it work and much like Leach's Air Raid it will get better and better as Arnett brings in his players, unlike Shoop in 2018 who molded his defense around all the talent he inherited.

The future is bright gents. Let's have a physical football team, but I am fine leaving that power running game with Mullen and his now underachieving ***.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

We have to find 2 legit OT’s before next season… this will be the key.

 

[Smoked Toag]

We have to find 2 legit OT’s before next season… this will be the key.

It is scary that Lashley is the best we have at RT. There has to be some 3rd or 4th year players that will mature enough in the offseason to be ready to take those spots next season, considering Lashley is a 6th year guy.

We also have to replace Sharp at Center, outside of the two OTs. Daunting.