Mississippi State's Isaac Smith: 'I bleed Maroon and White'
Ironically, Mississippi State sophomore Isaac Smith grew up on the other side of the Egg Bowl rivalry. The former On3 four-star safety is an Ole Miss legacy and his mother also graduated from Ole Miss, as well.
But on Friday and for the second straight Egg Bowl, Smith will be donning the Maroon and White on the field. Earlier this week the Itawamba AHS product discussed his background with the Magnolia State rivalry along with other aspects of the Egg Bowl:
Q: What does this week mean to you and your family?
Smith: It’s funny. I grew up loving Ole Miss and now it’s blood in the water. I don’t like them anymore. I bleed Maroon and White from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head. It’s definitely a big week for me just with my dad playing there and my mom going there. It means a lot to me to get to play against these guys and play against this school.
Q: How was Mississippi State able to change your mind in the recruiting process?
Smith: Just basically recruited me way, way better than Ole Miss did. Then the aspect of me and my personality, I love Starkville and the people here are awesome. That’s what drew me here and I wouldn’t change that for the world.
Q: Against Missouri the defense got off to a quick start. What changed after that?
Smith: I think it the strip sack. We lost momentum right there. We just needed to keep our heads on and not let one play define how the rest of the game goes. We came out the second half and had some big stops. We should’ve gotten off the field a little bit quicker, get off the field on third down. I think they kept the ball that first six or seven minutes on that first drive of the second half. It’s just about getting off the field and getting the ball back to the offense. Once we got momentum we started making big plays. We just got to finish it.
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Q: Do you know many of the Ole Miss players?
Smith: I know a good bit of them. There’s two of them I played with and they were in my class. They were at the Under Armour game with me. So it’s definitely fun getting to play against some of my buddies. But there’s no friends on Friday.
Q: How do you let the other guys not from Mississippi State know how important this game is?
Smith: That’s what I’ve been trying to preach in the locker room. This game means a lot to a bunch of us Mississippi guys. Honestly for those out-of-state guys, I think it’s just getting a feel for this week and feeling the bad blood that’s there. And just coming out and competing like this is their home state. This is their championship. This game means more to me than any other game I’ve played in my life.
Q: What stands out to you with Ole Miss’ offense?
Smith: They have a really good receiving core. Their quarterback is a three-year starter there and is really good. Then the tempo they used, you just got to capitalize when you get the opportunity. Make big plays, make the plays we’re supposed to make and make the plays we’re not supposed to make. Just get the ball back to the offense and let them do their thing. At the end of the day, it’s going to be about how well we can get off the field and how many points we can score.
Q: With your dad playing at Ole Miss, how’s that going to be knowing he will be wearing maroon on Friday?
Smith: That’s a funny question. But it’s not surprising because he loves me to death. At the end of the day, I’m his son and this is where I chose to come to school. He’s going to support me and the team throughout anything. I think it’s going to be awesome, especially if we can go over there and get a win in Oxford. It will be a big smile on his face, I know for sure.
