FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — At one point during Mississippi State football’s 7-3 win at Arkansas on Saturday, Nathaniel Watson looked over at fellow sixth-year linebacker Jett Johnson. What he saw was a sight as unsettling as the offensive display in the contest.
“I saw blood just running,” Watson said postgame. “I said, ‘Bro, you straight?’ He just had blood running down his nose.”
During a tackle, Johnson’s helmet was pulled and smashed down onto his nose. The result was a constant nosebleed, but Johnson was content playing through it.
“I knew he was going to stick it out,” Watson said. “He’s a real tough guy.”
He’s also the embodiment of Mississippi State doing exactly what Johnson said it needed to a month ago.
With the sweat and dejection of a Sept. 23 loss against South Carolina fresh, Johnson said the Bulldogs needed to find their defensive identity. Losing on the road in the SEC when your offense puts up 30 points felt unacceptable, and the veteran linebacker let it be known.
If there’s any question about Mississippi State (4-3, 1-3 SEC) getting that identity back after the open week, the blood dripping down Johnson’s face provided the answer. MSU’s defense had a chip on its shoulder, as Watson said, and wore it en route to coach Zach Arnett’s first SEC win.
“We’ve got a lot of competitors on that side of the ball,” Arnett said. “We’ve got a lot of competitors in our program. We’ve seen the stats, we know the results were not up to our satisfactory level. So, they went to work during the bye week. That’s what you do. There (isn’t) a magic formula.”
For an underwhelming unit in the first six games, Johnson and Watson needed to be the anchors of a turnaround. The reigning leading SEC tacklers delivered, combining for 25 tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss against Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson – who Watson called a, “bus” because of his size.
Other veterans such as safety Shawn Preston (one interception, one tackle for loss) and corner back Decamerion Richardson (one sack, four tackles) did their part. Then came the contributions of players who accepted bigger roles this offseason and finally delivered, such as safety Corey Ellington (seven tackles, one sack).
In a game where MSU was without injured quarterback Will Rogers, who entered this season with hopes of breaking the SEC’s career passing record, the defense needed its best outing of the year. It provided the best performance since it held Ole Miss to three points in the 2018 Egg Bowl.
Arkansas’ 200 yards were the fewest allowed by MSU in a game this year. It’s also the first time since last season’s win against East Tennessee State that the Bulldogs held a team to fewer than 100 passing yards.
“When you’ve got a good defense, it takes a lot of pressure off your shoulders,” wide receiver Zavion Thomas said.
The win leaves Mississippi State with plenty to clean up, but the Bulldogs are a game away from fulfilling Arnett’s short-term goal. After a 2-3 stretch in September, the first-year coach wanted the Bulldogs to go undefeated across their three October games.
Mississippi State won 41-28 against Western Michigan before its open week and now has the win against Arkansas (2-6, 0-5). As quickly as it found exuberance in the ugly victory, Mississippi State needs to find a gameplan worthy of a win at Auburn on Oct. 28 (2:30 p.m., SEC Network).
REPORT CARD: Mississippi State football defense gets A+ but offense clearly earns F in win vs Arkansas
“We have to build on this,” Preston said. “This can’t be the Super Bowl for us. We have to build and continue to strive to beat our next opponent.”
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.
Gregory Daniels is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, he explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture. Gregory enjoys staying ahead of the curve and sharing emerging trends with his readers.
