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Mississippi State Football: 3 biggest disappointments from 2019

By Michael Hanich

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 12: Head coach Joe Moorhead of the Mississippi State Bulldogs looks on prior to the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 12: Head coach Joe Moorhead of the Mississippi State Bulldogs looks on prior to the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /

3. Inconsistencies on offense

The running game of the Bulldogs, led by running back Kylin Hill, was highly productive throughout the season by ranking 22nd in rushing yards per game (220.6). Hill rushed for 1,350 yards and 10 touchdowns on 242 carries. Joe Moorhead’s dynamic spread offense is usually complemented by a dual-threat quarterback. Redshirt senior Tommy Stevens came in to play immediately after transferring from Penn State for his old coach.

Stevens encountered a difficult slate of injuries throughout the season that caused him to miss four games overall. Even when he played, he couldn’t either stay healthy or lead the offense to consistent scoring drives. This lead to Mississippi State having to rely on true freshman Garrett Shrader to lead the Bulldogs’ offense.

Shrader took over in September for the injured Stevens and encountered more inconsistencies due to his new sudden role. The Bulldogs had four straight losses at No. 7 Auburn, at Tennessee, at home versus No. 2 LSU and at Texas A&M.

In the 20-10 loss at Tennessee, the Bulldogs’ offense accounted for 20 first downs but was out-gained 357-267 in total yards accounted for on offense as well as throwing three interceptions. The Bulldogs also threw three interceptions in the losses against Louisville, LSU and Texas A&M.

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