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Mullen: Smith ‘desperate’ to make impact in senior season
By Ethan Levine
Published:
Mississippi State returned most of its starters on both sides of the ball this season, but none looked more improved in last week’s season opener than defensive end Preston Smith
Smith, a senior, batted a pass at the line of scrimmage and intercepted it himself, then blocked a field goal later in the game that turned into six points for MSU.
Bulldogs’ head coach Dan Mulllen sees Smith’s improved play as a form of “senioritis,” although instead of cruising to the finish line like most students with the made-up disease, Smith is working harder than ever to make the 2014 season a memorable one.
“This is his senior year, and there’s a desperateness about that,” Mullen said in his weekly press conference earlier in the week. “As underclassmen, a lot of times you think it’s going to go on forever, then all of a sudden you come in to your senior year and that’s it. I saw a guy like him that understood where he was, understood this was his last chance. I think he’s a guy that understands he would like to play football beyond college, and if he’s going to do that he better take himself to another level and have a great year to help our team and finish his year that right way.”
Mullen said he has been impressed with Smith’s work ethic and development since the end of last season, even stating he thought Smith “has had his best offseason” since arriving in Starkville.
The Bulldogs’ head coach was less impressed with Smith’s interception or his blocked kick, but was thrilled by the senior’s attention to details and desire to make a consistent impact play-after-play. He credited Smith’s SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honor to his two highlight reel plays, which deserved the recognition they received, but in Mullen’s opinion, it was his lack of negative plays that made him such a valuable commodity on defense against USM.
“It’s important to make some plays, but I want to see consistency out of you as well,” Mullen said.
Smith’s consistent success began in the film room, where he gained a better understanding of the game of football as well as MSU defensive coordinator Geoff Collins’ schemes for the current season. Once he felt he had mastered those concepts intellectually, it became easy for him to translate the knowledge into improved play on the field.
“An overall understanding of the game, I think, is really huge of how you’re putting yourself in a position to make plays in our system,” Mullen said, using Smith’s interception as an example of his point. “You look last week at his interception, they cut him. He felt soft, felt the back leak out, got cut, well, that’s going to be a screen. So what do you do? Don’t rush the passer. He stopped, got his hands up in the air, tipped the ball, was able to tip it to himself and make an interception.
“That’s just some general football knowledge of guys as they get older really paying attention to learn the game and do things the right way all the time.”
Smith’s presence will be vital this weekend as Mississippi State prepares for a UAB offense that posted more than 300 yards on the ground last week. Kickoff between Mississippi State and UAB is slated for 2 p.m. ET at Davis Wade Stadium.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
