Three Areas Mississippi State Must Improve In After 37-30 Loss To South Carolina

Looking into three areas Mississippi State must improve in to contend with No. 12 Alabama.

Mississippi State (2-2) fell its second-straight loss to an SEC opponent in the 2023 season on Saturday. 

This time, it came from the Spencer Rattler leading the South Carolina Gamecocks (2-2) to a 37-30 victory in a game that went back and forth. The defense allowed Rattler to have one of the better games of his career as it failed to play complementary football with an improved offense.

It marks another tough defeat, though much closer this time, after the Bulldogs fell 41-14 to the No. 13-ranked LSU Tigers in their SEC opener. There were some bright spots within both games and there's no doubt the offense has taken a huge step, but the team is going to have to be firing on all cylinders to contend with No. 12-ranked Alabama up next.

Here’s a look into three areas the team must get better in as State hopes to bounce back in Week 5:

1. Scheme up the secondary better.

Four weeks into the season, there is no denying that the secondary is the biggest weakness for MSU. The players are getting outrun by opposing receivers who have brought the speed that is to be expected at the SEC level, and it seems like they lack that shutdown ability that Emmanuel Forbes possessed last season for the Bulldogs. 

A lot of this comes down to coaching. Due to the lack of speed, man-to-man coverage should be limited to a minimum. Under normal circumstances, the run defense for Mississippi State is the best area the defense shines. When it does show up, the secondary can be successful in a zone-style defense.

2. Run defense must get better.

For State, the signature on the defensive side of the ball for years has been the run defense. However, against the Gamecocks they allowed 144 yards of rushing. The majority of them came from the duo Rattler and Mario Anderson. 

The Bulldogs are not the best at defending dual-threat quarterbacks, something that has definitely come to light in 2023. Notice when they send a blitz or force pressure, it is always towards the edge which leaves the middle of the field wide open. This needs to be an area of improvement because of the capable running abilities of all the quarterbacks remaining on the schedule for the team.

3. Trench warfare.

The defensive line and offensive line continue to underperform against tougher opponents. On this side of the ball, the lack of pressure on the quarterback is limiting the ability of the defense. The defense as a whole is like a complex organism. 

When one thing fails another issue will rear its head. No pressure means the opposing quarterback can sit and watch his receivers get open against a terrible secondary. Offensively, the line is not dominating their opponents. Quarterback Will Rogers played one of the best games of his career but with better protection, he could have thrown for 500+ yards. 

The trenches on both sides have to assert their strength and will on an opponent quickly or they will continue to lose the battle.