Kpaka and the Bulldog defense working to fix issues up front ahead of SEC opener
After two-straight weeks of miserable defensive play, Mississippi State is searching for answers on that side of the ball.
The Bulldogs have had their issues on offense as well and that was especially noticeable in the first half of the last two games. But on defense, the Bulldogs have been run over against Arizona State and Toledo with murderer’s row ahead on the schedule.
With the team clamoring for progress after a rough 41-17 loss to Toledo last week, having a big week of practice to address those issues has been key. The first couple of days of practice have shown so good early returns according to senior DT Sulaiman Kpaka.
“The mood at practice the last couple of days is getting that taste of the loss out of our (mouths),” Kpaka said. “Everybody is just trying to bring a lot more energy to practice and just focus on our opponent. The biggest thing is to lock in and fix all of those details. There is still energy in the room. We just need to go out there and play our best football.”
If there was any good news about Saturday it’s that the Bulldogs’ opponents are having their own major issues.
Florida is in the middle of a 1-2 start in Billy Napier’s third year and the Gators have been drubbed in two home games against Miami and Texas A&M. Rumors are circulating that Napier is on the verge of losing his job this season and there’s not a quarterback controversy building with starter Graham Mertz and five-star freshman sensation DJ Lagway.
Preparing for both QBs is tough for a defense that has struggled the last two weeks game planning and stopping the two non-conference offenses. Kpaka sees some more challenges with this group as well.
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“It’s an offense that has a pretty solid offensive line. They have 11 and 12 personnel. They’re a traditional offense with a lot more play action boot and inside zone,” Kpaka said. “They’re going to do what they have to do and we have to go out there and stop it.”
The Purdue transfer has had some good moments in a tough year to this point. In three games, Kpaka has nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. It’s shaping up to be the best year of Kpaka’s career, but he and his teammates will have to be as good as they can in the coming month.
That starts on Saturday when State hosts the Gators at 11 a.m. on ESPN. It’s a do or die game for the Bulldogs ahead of what’s going to be one of the most difficult stretches of games in recent years. Kpaka and his team haven’t lost faith.
“There’s still a lot of football to be played and that’s something we all believe in at the end of the day,” Kpaka said. “We’re all just taking it one day at a time. We all have the same mindset and that’s to go out there and play our best football and get it done.
“We have a plan and we’re going to go out there and play our best football to go out there and win the game on Saturday.”
