State offensive line prepares for massive challenge in SEC opener

During Mississippi State’s 4-0 start, there are two ways that one could look at the Bulldogs’ offensive line play to this point.

In one hand, there have been some concerns up front with the shuffling due to injuries and the penalties that the unit has complied so far. In the other hand, the unit having the bright spots that it has with the lack of that continuity up front is something to build on as SEC play begins.

Jeff Lebby is a former offensive lineman and has had his hand in the line over the years, so he has high expectations for that unit each season. After a rough season up front a year ago, Lebby not only got a new offensive line coach in Phil Loadholt, but he and his longtime friend restructured the line both in the winter and in the spring.

The unit had two spring transfers starting up front in the first game of the season in right guard Zack Owens and right tackle Blake Steen. After Steen went down with an injury and more Bulldogs were banged up, another spring transfer in Jayvin James stepped in and has been helping State at tackle in each of the last three games. It’s been an impressive sight for some of the older players to see how fast the spring transfers clicked.

“As they got here and started summer workouts, I felt like those guys could help us,” senior center Canon Boone said. “Especially during camp, those guys really proved themselves that they could help us and I’m so proud of those guys. If you don’t know the guys next to you, you can’t trust them. If you can’t trust them, you can’t play with them. We’ve built that trust.”

Bulldogs have plenty to clean up heading into game with Tennessee

While the continuity is getting better between the group, the Bulldogs have still not fully meshed as a unit. State has had trouble creating a whole lot of space at times in the run game and the Bulldogs, as a team, lead the league in penalties with 89 yards per game.

A lot of the penalties have come from holding calls or even some pre-snap issues with the group and there have been several big plays already that have been wiped out due to that. It’s something that Lebby has stressed has to be completely eliminated.

“It’s understanding what it’s doing to us situationally and how it’s taking chunk runs off the board,” Lebby said. “The playing penalties we have to clean up from a fundamental standpoint, from a technique standpoint. And that can’t be who we are. It’s not playing winning football. We were able to overcome. But we don’t want to have to overcome. We want to be able to go play clean.”

Playing clean will be an absolute must for the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon inside Davis Wade Stadium (3:15 p.m., SEC Network).

The Volunteers have had issues defending the pass as injuries have taken their toll, but they led the SEC coming into last week in sacks. After Oklahoma’s monster game, the Vols are now second, but the 15.0 sacks have told the story of a team that will get after the quarterback.

The Bulldogs defending Blake Shapen and controlling the line of scrimmage could be the difference in the game on Saturday.

“They’re big up front. It’s our first SEC opponent so it’s a drastic change in the level of competition that we’ve faced so far,” Boone said of UT. “Big up front, big inside; tall, long, athletic guys on the outside with speed.  We’ve just go to prepare like we’ve always prepared. We’re just ready to go out there on Saturday.”

Though the line issues have been magnified by many, the Bulldogs are still 8^th in the conference with 205 rushing yards per game and have been one of the highest graded pass blocking units in the country through four games.

Lebby said on Monday that he finally appears to be at a point where he has settled on a small rotation at guard and tackle that will get the bulk of the snaps. Redshirt freshman Jimothy Lewis and James are starting to get their feet under them at left tackle with senior right tackle Albert Reese being arguably the Bulldogs’ best blocker to this point.

Boone and his guards Jacoby Jackson and Owens have played most of the snaps at guard this season. With players like Luke Work, Trevor Mayberry and others pushing for reps as well, the competition should keep them all on their toes. It’s a unit that is ready for battle heading into SEC play a year after the team went 2-10.

“Last year was not what we expected to happen, but we brought in the right guys in the offseason and worked hard in the offseason,” Boone said. “We do have that chip on our shoulder mentality because we had a lot to prove. We’ve improved a lot, but we’ve got to continue to improve each and every SEC game.”