South Carolina Football: Getting to know the opponent: Mississippi State

KM: The Mississippi State defense was supposed to be a strength on this team. LSU, however, torched the unit, especially through the air. Was the Bulldog defense overrated? Or was the game against the Bayou Bengals just a bad showing?

EE: I do think it is a combination of both. I think that while it is an experienced roster, the talent level is not quite what it was thought to be. But, I also think there are guys not playing to their potential as a unit. The strength and experience on the defense is centered around the linebackers with Nathaniel Watson and Jett Johnson. Without them, specifically Johnson’s interceptions, MSU does not win the game against Arizona.
Put all of that together and you have a pretty bad matchup the following week versus LSU. MSU was not able to put pressure on the QB to make him act quickly and force mistakes, plus the coverage on the back end had no idea where Malik Nabers was for half of the game. It made for one of the worst displays I have seen by Mississippi State in a long time.