Moorhead insists MSU not in desperation mode
Mississippi State football is perhaps in its toughest spot in nearly a decade and a half, but to hear head coach Joe Moorhead talk, the Bulldogs aren't panicking.
Whether Moorhead's story is believable or not, he insists as MSU gets set to play at Arkansas this Saturday, it isn't concerned about the big picture where a season seems to be spiraling out of control.
“I don't think there's desperation necessarily by any means,” Moorhead said at his weekly press conference on Monday. “We're certainly focusing all of our concentration and all of our efforts on practice and preparation and making sure we're doing everything necessary to go out and perform and play well this week and get a win this week.”
MSU'S situation at this point is clear. To get bowl eligible this season, the Bulldogs have to win three of their final four regular season games. One of those final four games is against unbeaten Alabama, which Mississippi State hasn't defeated in 12 years, so it seems likely, for Moorhead and the Bulldogs to go bowling for what would be State's 10th straight season, MSU has to beat Arkansas.
If the Bulldogs don't, the public discontent with the football program's direction under Moorhead will almost assuredly continue to grow. Mississippi State has already lost four straight games for the first time since 2005. A loss to Arkansas on Saturday would surely make things worse, but at least publicly, Moorhead maintains he and his team are solely locked in on straightening things out versus the Razorbacks.
“I think regardless of the team and regardless of the situation, there's going to be highs and lows in any college football season,” Moorhead said. “You can't look through the rearview mirror. You've got to look through the front windshield and see what's ahead of you. I know our kids are focused on everything they need to do this week to get ready to beat Arkansas.”
Injury report
The Bulldogs will be dealing with the ramifications of several injuries come Saturday's game at Arkansas.
Moorhead declared on Monday that three players are officially ruled out of Saturday's game, including cornerback Maurice Smitherman, defensive end Fletcher Adams and cornerback Jarrian Jones.
Moorhead had already previously announced Smitherman