Mississippi State Spring Game 2015 Preview: What to watch for

Nov 1, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive lineman Chris Jones (96) celebrates with the fans during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Davis Wade Stadium. The Bulldogs defeat the Razorbacks 17-10. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

3. Defensive Changes

Geoff Collins took his psycho defense to Florida State where he’s the defensive coordinator of the Seminoles which opened the door for former defensive coordinator, Manny Diaz to return to Mississippi State.

Diaz led the turnaround of the Bulldogs defense in his lone season in Starkville in 2010 when his defense finished 22nd in the nation in scoring defense, allowing an average of 19.9 points per game with players like Pernell McPhee and Chris White leading the way. That unit finished 17th in rush defense and averaged seven tackles for loss per game.

The Bulldogs lose a lot from last year’s defense, especially up front where Preston Smith, Kaleb Eulls and P.J. Jones are gone, but former five-star recruit Chris Jones is still there and he has to get him to play to his potential. I’ll be watching to see how Diaz uses Jones and where he’s lining up. He can be special if put in the right situation.

I also want to see how Diaz rotates his defensive linemen in and out and what his approach will be on Saturday. Granted, it won’t be as sophisticated and there won’t be exotic blitzes like we’d see in the regular season, but I want to get a feel for how aggressive his defense will be.

Next: Sense of Urgency