<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2KdBFq_0vH3Plaj00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2KdBFq_0vH3Plaj00" width="1146" height="600" >*<a href="https://247sports.com/college/mississippi-state/">Mississippi State</a> tweaked the announced starting lineup on defense, opening with <a href="https://247sports.com/college/purdue/">Purdue</a> transfer <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/sulaiman-kpaka-46051644/">Sulaiman Kpaka</a> at tackle in place of <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/kalvin-dinkins-46114695/">Kalvin Dinkins</a>.This made for three first-fall transfers on defense, with fellow tackle <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/kedrick-bingley-jones-46049745/">Kedrick Bingley-Jones</a> (<a href="https://247sports.com/college/north-carolina/">North Carolina</a>) and inside linebacker <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/stone-blanton-46098545/">Stone Blanton</a> (<a href="https://247sports.com/college/south-carolina/">South Carolina</a>). The offense had six first-year transfers: quarterback <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/blake-shapen-46051801/">Blake Shapen</a>, receiver <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/kevin-coleman-46058557/">Kevin Coleman</a>, tackle <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/makylan-pounders-46085793/">Makylan Pounders</a>, center <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/ethan-miner-46054744/">Ethan Miner</a>, guard <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/jacoby-jackson-46059509/">Jacoby Jackson</a>, and guard <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/marlon-martinez-46051533/">Marlon Martinez</a>.*The 56 points scored on opening evening exceeded any output last season, and matched the total scored in late 2022 against <a href="https://247sports.com/college/etsu/">East Tennessee State</a>. So Bulldog teams have done well against small-league clubs with 'East' in their names.*He spent spring at guard, began preseason the same, then leading up to the opener <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/albert-reese-46052559/">Albert Reese</a> moved out to right tackle. Which happens to be the place he began his Bulldog career in 2020. He was the lone non-transfer in the starting line-up, too.But Reese didn't stay put. When right guard Marlon Martinez had what looked like an equipment issue, Reese slid over to that spot. <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/leon-bell-46110281/">Leon Bell</a> took right tackle. And State immediately scored, on Shapen's keeper.Wait, there's more. By the second half Reese was also working at left tackle in place of starter Pounders. Without resorting to review it is not absolutely certain, but it seems Mississippi State scored an offensive touchdown with Reese at all those three positions. If correct, might that make a case for SEC Lineman of the Week?"Albert is a special player," Shapen said. "Very physical, a big guy, he can do it all. To lean on a guy like that has been big for us and we need him every single week."*Jordan Mosley (5 receptions, 104 yards) had the evening of his State career and exceeded his output of the previous two years combined in ground gained. He also had that opening touchdown of the entire season and the <a href="https://247sports.com/Coach/jeff-lebby-1384/">Jeff Lebby</a> Era to boast of, should he choose.In other ways though Coleman was stealing the show, both with 88 yards and five catches for a touchdown; and his 117 punt return yards. The 205 all-purpose yards topped the team of course.This is what Lebby expected from the key transfer. "We knew we were getting a guy with huge return ability." At same time, State already has another in sophomore <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/creed-whittemore-46110627/">Creed Whittemore</a> who took over fielding punts late.They can't both catch and return the same punt. But they can be paired and Lebby is already doing it in the search for "electric" slot targets. "I love that gives us an opportunity to play both in the slot and as return guys."*The late <a href="https://247sports.com/Coach/mike-leach-1499/">Mike Leach</a> pooh-pooed possession time as a generally meaningless and even misleading statistic. He would have been enthralled with what Jeff Lebby's first Bulldog bunch did in clock terms.Mississippi State only snapped the ball 57 official times on offense, and the clock ran for just 21:54 while Bulldogs had the ball. Meaning, the Colonels had the ball over 16 more minutes and snapped it 76 times.But the scoreboard showed not just how much more Mississippi State did with said ball, scoring six offensive touchdowns with almost eight minutes still to play in the third quarter. But that Lebby's tempo is most assuredly Up. If the Bulldogs weren't at the line of scrimmage every time as the ball was placed, they were close to it much more often than not even after big strikes.*For Shapen, this type of tempo is a definite change from his <a href="https://247sports.com/college/baylor/">Baylor</a> years. He's adapted to it just fine so far. Yet he was also able to slow, if that's the word, the pace as needed."In third down situations we'll probably huddle a little more to get the play right," he said. "Because we have to take time to get the protection right and all those things. So I can see the back end and know where to go with the football."Full tempo or partial, "Both of them are comfortable," Shapen said.*How hard was Lebby pushing the pace? When for a moment it seemed a fumble had been forced and recovered at midfield, staff were rushing the Dog defense off the field and racing the offense on. Never mind it was a 35-0 scoreboard and only 61 seconds remaining.This coach and club wanted to snap it off and go for more. It did not happen as the play was ruled an incompleted pass, but the implication is clear.*In one game Mississippi State has already matched 2023's entire output for both defensive touchdowns, and for blocked kick touchdowns.Safety JP Purvis' fourth-quarter stuff of a Colonel punt was recovered in the end zone by receiver <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/mario-craver-46128632/">Mario Craver</a>. Though, Purvis was within reach of the high bounce only to look the wrong way so Craver could slice in behind him for the carom and touchdown. Last year, it was <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/avery-sledge-46118341/">Avery Sledge</a> scoring on a blocked punt also on opening day.And for the final Bulldog score this debut, reserve cornerback Elijah Cannon was gift-wrapped a late interception all he needed do was stay put, catch, and take off. He did, going 51 yards.A year ago the defense got it's only score by safety <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/marcus-banks-46041877/">Marcus Banks</a>, though it was more entertaining as linebacker <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/jett-johnson-46038506/">Jett Johnson</a> had recovered a fumble only to lateral it to his teammate on the return.*Whittemore must have a thing for season openers. The wide receiver scored twice in the first game of 2023, as a true freshman. The first was a 33-yard reception, the second a 53-yard handoff dash.In this opening contest of the soph season Whittemore turned a reverse handoff into a 41-yard cut and dash to the end zone. Now his trick is to do more in the rest of the schedule, as he added just one more touchdown all last year.*Also harking back to a year ago, Mississippi State had another true frosh get two touchdowns in a season and thus career opener. Mario Craver's right time-and-place recovery of the blocked punt followed his outstanding deep strike catch from Blake Shapen for 54 yards in the second quarter.*There needs be one more reference to the sad 2023 offensive story. Last year's discombobulated group managed just three first-quarter touchdowns for the full season; all in the first half of the season, and none in SEC play.League play is still weeks away. But the '24 group knocked out two touchdowns in its debut quarter, which the '23 team took the second period to get into the end zone against hapless <a href="https://247sports.com/college/southeastern-louisiana/">Southeastern Louisiana</a>.</div></body>

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Game One Notebook: take your tempo, beating the clock, and a three-peat for Albert Reese

*Mississippi State tweaked the announced starting lineup on defense, opening with Purdue transfer Sulaiman Kpaka at tackle in place of Kalvin Dinkins. This made for three first-fall transfers on defense, with fellow tackle Kedrick Bingley-Jones (North Carolina) and inside linebacker Stone Blanton (South Carolina). The offense had six first-year transfers: quarterback Blake Shapen, receiver Kevin Coleman, tackle Makylan Pounders, center Ethan Miner, guard Jacoby Jackson, and guard Marlon Martinez.

Game One Notebook: take your tempo, beating the clock, and a three-peat for Albert Reese

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