Following the tragic death of head coach Mike Leach in December 2022, then-defensive coordinator Zach Arnette took over the Mississippi State program and underperformed the following season, moving away from Leach's signature Air Raid offense.
The Bulldogs missed their first bowl game since 2009, mostly due to a poorly executed offense. Arnette was fired after just one season and Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Levy was hired to revitalize the program. With him at the helm and a slew of new starters coming in through the transfer portal, Mississippi State's offense could be much improved in 2024. But the defense may ultimately be the reason the Bulldogs miss a second consecutive bowl game.
For more college football click here:
NCAA Power Rankings | NCAA Premium Stats | NCAA Betting Dashboard 2024 CFB Schedule | News and Analysis | The PFF College Football Show
Biggest Strength: New offensive line led by Jeff Levy
Mississippi State's offense will look very different than last year's, which is a good thing, because the Bulldogs finished ninth-worst among Power Five teams in expected points added per play. Mississippi State is expected to use eight transfer students on offense and has hired an innovative offensive line head coach in Jeff Levy.
Biggest Weakness: Questions all over the defense.
Mississippi State lost eight starters from a roughly average defense last year, and the Bulldogs will need to improve their ability to get after the quarterback in 2024 after their 2023 team pass rush grade of 63.3 was 10th-worst in college football.
2023 Team Overview
attack |
||||
| EPA per play | Yards per play | Successful Play Rate | Explosive run play rate | Explosive pass play rate |
| -0.123 | 5.1 | 29.8% | 15.6% | 12.9% |
| 114th | T-109th place | 126th | 64th | T-89th place |
defense |
||||
| EPA Allowance per Play | Yards allowed per play | Play success rate | Explosive run rates allowed | Allowing for explosive pass rates |
| -0.019 | 5.3 | 33.5% | 14.4% | 12.3% |
| No.63 | T-47th place | No.47 | No.53 | Tied for 24th place |
Three notable transfer portal additions
- QB Blake Chappen (Baylor): PFF Grade 71.7
- WR Kelly Akala'i (UTEP): PFF grade 76.6
- C Ethan Minor (North Texas): PFF grade 82.5
Three notable transfer portal losses
- QB Will Rogers (Washington): PFF grade 77.3
- RB Woody Marks (USC): 82.0 PFF grade
- CB DeCarlos Nicholson (USC): PFF grade 71.3
Quarterback Spotlight: Blake Scheipen
2023: 71.7
Key Stats: 60.9 non-play-action passing grade (79th among 95 quarterbacks with at least 300 dropbacks)
Dominate your fantasy football and betting with AI-powered data and tools trusted by all 32 countries
