INSIDE SLANT

Mississippi State only thought it had made some meaningful changes in its secondary.

Against Arkansas and Ryan Mallett in Little Rock on Saturday, the Bulldogs saw that they still have a long way to go.

Mallett tied his career high with five touchdowns and threw for 313 yards en route to a 42-21 win. State’s loss knocked the Bulldogs out of the potential of being bowl-eligible in coach Dan Mullen’s first year, leaving just this week’s Egg Bowl against Ole Miss.

MSU made some midseason personnel switches to shore up a secondary that had given up big plays in bunches in the first half of the season. Johnthan Banks and Corey Broomfield saw more playing time. So did Maurice Langston.

And while it could have technically been worse against Arkansas—and there were some containment problems that don’t start with the secondary—State still showed that it is vulnerable to the pass, regardless of the personnel.

The Bulldogs hadn’t played a true passing quarterback in the games since those changes were made.

NOTES, QUOTES

• Mississippi State’s 49 passing yards against Arkansas were its fewest since the 2007 Liberty Bowl, a game State actually won, 10-3 over Central Florida. The Bulldogs shifted between quarterbacks during Saturday’s game and that promises to be a central question leading up to this week’s Egg Bowl.

• Speaking of the Egg Bowl, the attention was turned to that game immediately after Saturday’s loss. In reality, it never left. Players have continually been reminded of last year’s 45-0 loss to Ole Miss in Oxford since the day after it happened.

• MSU worsened to 0-8-1 against Arkansas in the state of Arkansas. The Bulldogs have never won a game there, though they hadn’t played in Arkansas until 1993.

Game Ball Goes To:   RB Anthony Dixon—Without the senior running back, the loss to Arkansas would have really been a blowout. He rushed 24 times for 176 yards and two touchdowns as he continued his climb up the Southeastern Conference record book lists. Dixon’s 70-yard run with 7:56 to play in the third quarter gave State momentum, but his fumble later in the quarter switched the momentum back to Arkansas.

Keep An Eye On:   DB Corey Broomfield—A redshirt freshman pressed into duty, Broomfield has five interceptions after picking off Ryan Mallett twice Saturday. Broomfield will benefit from this early playing time and will have the opportunity to be a force in State’s secondary for years to come.

Quote To Note:   “Not very good in our secondary. Didn’t make plays that were there to be made. I guess I sound like a broken record.”—Coach Dan Mullen, in The Clarion-Ledger, after the loss to Arkansas.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Looking Good:   The Bulldogs have climbed to No. 12 in the nation in rushing, which is a lofty place for an offense that had grown accustomed this past half-decade to staying near the bottom of the national rankings. Thanks mainly to Anthony Dixon and an improved offensive line, State has a reliable offensive threat. It’ll be interesting to see how a stable of young tailbacks carry on after Dixon’s departure.

Still Needs Work:   Quarterback is far from a strong point for State, and Saturday’s game at Arkansas showed why. Tyson Lee was benched in the second half in favor of Chris Relf, who showed flashes of being dangerous, especially when he ran the ball, but was still not sharp. Coach Dan Mullen has his hands full managing the most important position on the field this week and into the future.

Roster Report:  

• DB Marcus Washington played and was a captain after being somewhat questionable with a foot injury.

• DE Pernell McPhee has a team-best 11 tackles for loss. LB Jamar Chaney, by no surprise, has a team-best 88 tackles.

• WR Chad Bumphis took the handoff on State’s first offensive play of the game and nearly scored. His 49-yard run was the longest of his career and showed how State would like to see him involved in the offense going forward.

• WR/KR Leon Berry suffered a leg bruise, but coach Dan Mullen didn’t seem to think it would limit his availability in the Egg Bowl.