Keeping up with Mississippi State’s pace is key to Arizona State getting 1st SEC win

TEMPE — Mississippi State’s high-tempo offense is a problem the Arizona State coaches have worked to solve ahead of a matchup at Mountain America Stadium on Saturday.

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham said the tempo gives new Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby the chance to “play quarterback” in signal caller Blake Shapen’s ear. In-helmet communications, which are new to college football this season, turn off at the 20-second mark on the play clock. 

In their Week 1 victory over Eastern Kentucky, the Bulldogs consistently snapped the ball well before that, oftentimes even before the 30-second mark. Their drives took less than two minutes on average.

ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward said he has lost sleep this week over getting his defense’s pre-snap disguises right, given Lebby can read the field himself and make the call in real time. 

ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward on the challenges of getting presnap disguises right against a team that utilizes tempo as much as Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/gosHG9Ya8B

— State of the Sun Devils (@AZSportsDevils) September 4, 2024

Lebby was most recently the offensive coordinator for two years at Oklahoma after two seasons coordinating under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. Those units finished third, 13th, sixth and third in yards per game nationwide. His UCF offense ranked second the year before that tenure.

At one point committed to both ASU football and baseball, Shapen joined Lebby’s new staff as a transfer from Baylor. After Week 1, Shapen was ranked the second-best quarterback in the nation by Pro Football Focus after he completed 15 of 20 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns against EKU.

“Obviously that system is super quarterback-driven. He came from a completely, drastically different system,” Dillingham said. “So this is a big change for him in terms of the style of play, the freedom they give their quarterback.”

Shapen on Saturday threw a gorgeous deep ball on shots set up by the pace, which wore down the defense and softened the back end by being so effective in the short game.

asu defensive coordinator brian ward on what he’s expecting from former asu commit blake shapen and the mississippi state offense pic.twitter.com/BM33n1M55L

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) September 5, 2024

Where can Arizona State exploit the Mississippi State defense?

ASU’s offensive coaches this week have emphasized staying true to their own identity against a talented Mississippi State defense coordinated by Coleman Hutzler, who was Alabama’s outside linebackers coach the last two years.

“They’re obviously a really talented football team that (is) tough, well-coached … they’ve got a new energy, a new juice,” ASU offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo said. “On the perimeter, they’ve got some real guys, so being able to run the football effectively in any game really is our mantra, our identity, as we saw starting last week.

“Being able to put guys in the box and be able to take advantage of guys on the perimeter is something that give (the receivers) a one-on-one situation if we can get to that. And if we don’t get to that, then we’ve gotta be able to do it in other ways.”

As many as four running backs were in the rotation in the season opener. Quarterback Sam Leavitt additionally rushed eight times for 47 yards. The Sun Devils averaged 4.9 yards per carry as a team.

Running back Kyson Brown, who grew up about an hour away from Mississippi State but was never offered by the Bulldogs, ripped off the Sun Devils’ biggest offensive play on Saturday when he took a screen pass 68 yards for a touchdown.

He clocked one of the fastest game speeds nationwide on the play, according to Reel Analytics.

#CFB's Fastest Five Players of Week 1:

T-5. @ASUFootball's Kyson Brown (@KysonBrown11)

RB, 68-yard TD, 20.0 MPH 💨
#ForksUp #ActivateTheValley #Big12FB pic.twitter.com/sV4fmk9Q9H

— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) September 3, 2024

Punt coverage is biggest special teams key

Arizona State punter Kanyon Floyd only needed to punt twice in ASU’s win over Wyoming. 

He sent his first collegiate punt into the end zone for a touchback from the Wyoming 41-yard line. Dillingham said postgame a communication slip-up on his part led to Floyd not sky-punting it in that situation. 

His second punt went 51 yards from the ASU 29. The punt coverage team gave up a six-yard return.

With a tougher opponent coming up and Floyd likely having to do a bit more on Saturday, the ASU coverage team will have to be on its game, as MSU wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. has game-breaking potential as a return man. 

Coleman’s opener started with punt returns of 32 yards (nullified by penalty), 18 yards, seven yards and 30 yards before EKU stopped punting to him.

While serving as Florida State’s offensive coordinator, Dillingham recruited Coleman before the 2022 top-75 overall prospect chose Deion Sanders and Jackson State. 

The Bulldogs also blocked an Eastern Kentucky punt that freshman wide receiver Mario Craver recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Coleman and Craver also each caught a touchdown.

Gold in, cowbells out

After the ASU students nearly broke the attendance record for a game since 2010 in the opener, Dillingham has called since postgame for it to be broken this week.

Packing the stadium with gold is especially important to former SEC defensive back Laterrance Welch, who played at Mississippi State under the “cowbell effect” last season while with LSU.

“All I can remember is them cowbells, the most aggravating (sound),” Welch said. “You line up, they start ringing them.”

Dillingham hasn’t shied away from reminding his team that a win on Saturday would be the program’s first against an SEC opponent.

Many of the players, including running back Cam Skattebo, have taken the approach of just looking forward to playing another game.

ASU RB Cam Skattebo on what the Week 1 blowout win said about the Sun Devils and what the approach is going into Week 2 against Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/EdfsW6p2iy

— State of the Sun Devils (@AZSportsDevils) September 3, 2024

Catch ASU square off against Mississippi State on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Listen on the Arizona Sports app, 98.7 HD-2 or 620 AM or watch on ESPN (Spanish broadcast on ESPN3).