So, How Was Your Day?
Given the holiday weekend, it was a very busy Tuesday in the athletic department, particularly with the first home football game of the season this weekend. It sounds a bit silly, maybe, but you can easily feel the difference around the department and around town, a little buzz going for the home opener.
Speaking of, plenty of noteworthy football topics came through as we talked to players and coaches after practice this evening.
Let’s start with defensive coordinator Geoff Collins…
After some issues against Oklahoma State, he says the defense “got the triple-option stuff fixed, got it adjusted.”
On blue-chip freshman defensive end Chris Jones: “A couple plays, Chris Jones was just a terror in the backfield, which is what we hoped he’d be. Now he just has to work on consistency.
On Alcorn State: “They’ve got some big-time athletes … A couple 6’2″ receivers.”
And lastly, “Our guys have a bad taste in their mouth they wanna get out.”
We also chatted with All-American left guard Gabe Jackson about some of his teammates, specifically those at the right guard spot filling in for the temporarily-injured Justin Malone.
Jackson tells us junior Damien Robinson has started working some there at guard (he’s usually a tackle) in Malone’s absence, along with Ben Beckwith.
Beckwith arrived at MSU as a walk-on, but Jackson said he’s not the typical walk-on, in any way, calling him a very good player, as others have said.
I also asked junior linebacker Matt Wells about quarterback Dak Prescott, likely to be starting this weekend in place of Tyler Russell.
Among other things, Wells said Prescott presents challenges to defensive players.
“He’s big and strong. He can throw and he can run, so you never know what’s coming.”
Tomorrowland
As media availability goes, it’s a silent day for MSU with no interviews of any kind. However, Scott Stricklin’s weekly update comes out and I’d imagine this is a pertinent one.
I’m also sitting in tomorrow afternoon on the final screening of some short videos for the video board on game day featuring MSU’s players. I was there for the filming of several of them back in August and I imagine they ought to be pretty fun. If nothing else, we’ll all see some of them together on Saturday.
HailStateBEAT 