'25 Recruiting Forum: Official Mississippi State vs Tennessee Pre-game/Game Thread

#29
#29
OGbabyaviVol said:
View attachment 775248The numbers are going to change on the graphic once all the games are finished today, but Tennessee has finished playing and won, so Iā€™m ready to move on to our next game in Starkville next Saturday! Miss St has asked for a white-out in cow town for this one. They want to wear all whites and have the fans be in white to celebrate some meaningless win however long ago over a nobody. Who cares! All that matters this game is can Tennessee not have that mysterious on the road game (22 SC, 23 Mizzou, 24 Arky) that makes you scratch your head saying ā€œwho in the world was that team and what happened to the Vols of past weeks?ā€ Forget all of that thinking with this team. Why? We have actual leaders on this team that will not allow that to happen. So what will happen? Letā€™s look at the keys to getting our 1st SEC win this year.

1. Defense, can we please get some of our dudes back from injury and actually play some decent defense? I think we will continue to be stout against the run, but can we limit the passing game? Thatā€™s the question. We continue to love playing this soft zone and sending 4 DL. Does that change this week? Can we get pressure and make Shapen uncomfortable? This will be the difference between a 10-14 point win and a blowout. I expect Hobbs and Moi are back, and we end up looking a little different than we have the past couple of weeks.

2. 1st quarter boyz keep rolling! This offense is really hitting its stride and will continue to get better, as long as we can stay relatively healthy. Now, can we take it on the road and do what we have done every other game so farā€¦score early and often to jump out to a big lead? I think we can. It will be louder than it should with the fake noise makers allowed, but I donā€™t think it will matter. We will continue to hum and put up at least 17 in the 1st quarter.

3. 2nd quarter blues? This is where we need some work. We jump out to a big lead in the first quarter then hit a major lull in the 2nd. Seems Josh slows it down a lot trying to not gas his defense, but heā€™s hurting his offense by doing it, and still ends up having defense go super soft and give up plays and points. Need that to stop this game and moving forward.

4. PROTECT THE BALL! I am looking at Boo on punt returns, and at Joey and the RBs at the mesh point. We have had too many balls on the ground with these 2 things. Only way Miss St stays in this game is if we allow them to by turning the ball over. We canā€™t do that and be a championship team.

5. RBs, catch the ball out of the backfield!! We have left a bunch of yards and possible points on the field last week and this week because our RBs continue to drop the ball. Speaking of RBs, I think we need to make sure Star gets more touches, and Morris needs a few touches as well as let him keep returning kickoffs (hoping they only have maybe 2-3 of those).

Prediction: this team looks focused. I would really be floored if we see one of those klunker road games this year, but Iā€™ve been wrong before. We know we have the dudes to be a playoff team, and we show it, as we move towards the bye week where hopefully we can get fully healthy (minus Gibson). I think we jump out fast again and never look back. This offense is just too good with all the new stuff we have installed. Only we can slow ourselves down, and I donā€™t see this being a game that we do that.

TN - 59
MSU - 20

ONE TEAM, ONE HEARTBEAT!
Click to expand...


Well said. All salient points.

Success would be:

1) Tennessee wins by 2 TDs.
2) No further injuries.
3) Tennessee has Hobbs, McCoy, and Moi back after the off week.
 
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#30
#30
NighthawkVol said:
Well said. All salient points.

Success would be:

1) Tennessee wins by 2 TDs.
2) No further injuries.
3) Tennessee has Hobbs, McCoy, and Moi back after the off week.
Click to expand...
I hope we have Hobbs and Moi for this game. They want to run the ball and shorten the game to limit our possessions. We need to shut the run game down, and those 2 guys being back would be a big help.
 
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#32
#32
Iā€™m expecting a back and forth shootout for most of this one with the Vols pulling away late. I believe Miss State likes to throw it around a bit which doesnā€™t bode well for our short-handed defense. Unless we get Moi and Hobbs back for this one?
 
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#33
#33
Having trouble trusting our defense in this one. And our offense does not travel well. Glad itā€™s not an evening game. Expect itā€™s too close for comfort but come out on top because Joey is that dude and stays calm.

šŸŠ 35
šŸ¶ 31
 
#44
#44
OGbabyaviVol said:
I hope we have Hobbs and Moi for this game. They want to run the ball and shorten the game to limit our possessions. We need to shut the run game down, and those 2 guys being back would be a big help.
Click to expand...
Guessing we get Moi back Saturday, Hobbs back for Arkansas.

No idea on Sanders or McCoy. Arkansas for both would be great.
 
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#45
#45
I think for both teams a run game can maybe be their best defense.
I've already predicted a shootout so I won't go back on that...

But the more I think I about it... Both teams want to run. Typically both teams play with pace.

Neither team has the defensive depth to have a ton of extra possessions. So I could see a scenario where the exact opposite type of game develops as both teams try to protect their defense a little bit while still trying to take shots when opportunities present.
 
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