Mississippi State Secondary Poised for a Statement Year in 2021: 'Week 1 Can't Come Fast Enough'
The Mississippi State Bulldogs head into the 2021 season with a secondary that has largely flown under the radar, but could quickly garner national attention.
Perhaps part of the reason why the Bulldogs haven't gotten a ton of recognition in this area has to do with things that were out of everyone's control last year.
MSU had the odds stacked against it ahead of the 2020 season, with an entirely new coaching staff and a new scheme on both sides of the ball for players to learn over an adverse offseason surrounded by COVID-19 restrictions.
Even so, the Bulldogs opened the season by putting the SEC on notice with a 44-34 road win over the defending national champion LSU Tigers.
The team faltered some from that point before seeming to find itself, winning two consecutive games to end the season with a 4-7 overall record (3-7 in the regular season).
Sure, that doesn't leap off the paper, but when you consider the surrounding circumstances and the fact that MSU was one of the youngest teams in the conference, it's actually pretty impressive.
To put things in perspective, consider that State had 26 first-time starters last year.
"When you implement an offense and a defense over Zoom, there are going to be some things lost in translation when you get on the field," Bulldogs cornerbacks coach Darcel McBath said.
"We made the best of it. Our guys are extremely smart and extremely mentally tough. They did the best they could and what we got out of that season, I am still in shock of what they did with the lack amount of time we had to practice last year and the lack of reps we got. Playing some of the best teams in the country week in and week out, they did a heck of a job."
Now that the Bulldogs have a proper offseason to work with for the first time since the new coaching staff arrived, the team is making the most of it.
McBath puts his goal for his players simply.
"To improve from last year," he said. "We set a foundation on what we can be and we've just got to build upon that. These guys worked their tails off in the spring. I expect them to improve in every area. With improvement comes less mistakes, and I'm looking forward to seeing that."
He specifically noted mental aspect, and says that a lot seemed to start clicking in the spring.
"These guys took the next step in terms of understanding the defense, understanding their jobs," McBath said. "Last year was a rushed season. We didn't have much time with them before we played our first football game. We're a new staff, a new defense. But now these guys understand what they're supposed to do, how they're supposed to do it and why they're doing it."
McBath named several players as standouts so far this offseason, also noting that he was optimistic about the younger talent and the effort they've been putting in.
One of the biggest things for MSU is getting safety Fred Peters back at full capacity. Peters was limited to just four games last year, totaling 20 tackles (10 solo), one pass defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery before he was sidelined.
"I think getting Fred (Peters) back makes a huge difference. He was out most of the season last year, one of our better safeties. Esaias Furdge has had an unbelievable summer. Decamerion Richardson has had an unbelievable summer. He's a budding playmaker for us. Those guys will be big contributors for us, and the young guys are putting in the work."
And there couldn't be more of a sense of eagerness to show what they've been working on as the Bulldogs await their first matchup of the season -- a home game in Davis Wade Stadium against a visiting Louisiana Tech team.
"We've got a good group. We've got a good nucleus we've got some good leaders in there. Our two starters are returning... we're looking forward to big things this year. Week 1 can't come fast enough."
