Mizzou's Defense is Ready for Mississippi State Quarterback Situation

The Mississippi State Bulldogs looked like a pencil-in win last season for just about any Southeastern Conference opponent they played. The Bulldogs went 2-10 last year in the first season under head coach Jeff Lebby, leaving questions about the future in Starkville.

That's no longer the case and the Bulldogs are now trending in the right direction this season. They currently sit at 5-5 and have the opportunity to earn a big win in Columbia, Missouri, against the Missouri Tigers.

It's very clear that the Bulldogs are a much-improved team, but what's less clear is who Lebby will roll out at the quarterback spot on Saturday evening. With the traditional starting quarterback, Blake Shapen, listed as questionable, the starting spot may be in the hands of true freshman Kamario Taylor.

The Tigers have been in this position before, where they are unsure of who will be the first man out. Regardless of who it is, they'll be prepared for it.

"We've got a game plan for both of those guys," linebacker Khalil Jacobs said on Tuesday.. "So no matter who goes out there, we just got to be our standard and execute like you're supposed to."

Taylor is a completely different stylistic quarterback than Shapen. He's a hard-nosed runner whom the Bulldogs will scheme into rushing opportunities. He's still growing as a passer, but is growing more comfortable game-by-game.

Shapen is a more traditional pocket-passer, especially compared to Taylor. He has a nice arm that's accurate, with a tendency to keep the ball out of harm's way. In his time playing this season, he's thrown 15 touchdowns to six interceptions.

The Tigers have faced a plethora of mobile quarterbacks this season, which likely has made preparing for a passer like Taylor easier. It will be interesting to follow which quarterback trots out first and how they plan on utilizing both at the same time, which has been the case in previous games.

Regardless of who's at quarterback, the Bulldogs will run lots of RPOs and play fast. That's something that stands out clearly on the offensive side of the ball for Mississippi State and is a clear part of their identity.

The defensive side of the ball carries a similar aggressive and fast-paced mindset that should pose some challenges for defensive coordinator Corey Batoon and the Tigers.

"Offensively, very dynamic and explosive run-based RPO offense that utilizes tempo, creates explosive plays, utilizes space really well," Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "Defensively, have remade their defense, but very multiple, very aggressive, very attacking. Nine seniors on that side of the ball. They got a lot of experience, which creates its own challenge for us."

READ: Eli Drinkwitz Reacts to Texas A&M Defense Predicting Mizzou's Play Calls

Alongside the pair of Mississippi State's quarterbacks are a pair of dynamic running backs that create different challenges of their own. One of those two guys is Fluff Bothwell, a sophomore transfer from South Alabama.

Missouri's Jacobs, a standout linebacker for the Tigers over the last two seasons, is somewhat familiar with Bothwell, having both spent time with the South Alabama Jaguars. The speed and strength that Bothwell runs with also stand out.

"He's a tough runner," Jacobs said, "You can't really arm tackle him."

Missouri's offensive line will need to be ready for a variety of different defensive coverages and blitz packages. Mississippi State Coleman Hutzler loves to get after the quarterback and, with a freshman signal caller under center for the Tigers, there's not a chance that will change.

Texas A&M showed what can happen if freshman Matt Zollers is placed under immense pressure. It's hard to imagine that the Bulldogs won't send guys like defensive tackle Jaray Bledsoe or edge rushers Branden Jennings and Malick Sylla at the Tiger offensive line to force Zollers into bad decisions.

"Some of the teams we've seen, they're going to twist, they're going to have a fourth rusher, or not a simulated pressure," center Connor Tollison said. "So just trying to find who that guy will be and where we need to slide protections and whatnot."

In general, the improvements the Bulldogs have made from last year to this season have made them a completely different team. Game planning for Lebby's squad last year was likely much different, given the upgrades in talent and experience they now have.

"Mississippi State is a team that’s improving, year in over year out," Drinkwitz said. "I think coach [Jeff] Lebby has got that program going in the right direction. They have five wins, looking for their sixth win to become bowl eligible. Got their first conference win two weeks ago versus Arkansas."

Missouri and Mississippi State kick off at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday at Faurot Field, the final home game for the Tigers in the 2025-26 season.

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