Are the defenses in the Mississippi State - Oklahoma State game that good or are the offenses just that bad?
It’s probably a little of both, actually.
The Cowboys lead the Bulldogs, 7-3, at the half, but it’s been a tough slog. Last season, OSU averaged 547 yards and 45.7 points per game, but had zero points and just 92 total yards before putting together its only score on a 69-yard drive late in the second quarter.
The normally efficient quarterback duo of Clint Chelf and J.W. Walsh was completely neutralized, as the pair combined for 45 yards on nine of 18 passing.
Perhaps these growing pains should be expected. After all, the Cowboys are debuting a new offensive coordinator in Mike Yurchich. The last time he called a play in a game it was for Division II Shippensburg. Or it could just be that the Bulldogs defense is that good.
Not that we’re letting MSU off the hook, either. Dan Mullen’s squad was one for eight on third down conversions, averaged 2.9 yards per carry and managed a piddling field goal against a defense that finished 82nd nationally in total defense last year.
In short, it appears that the MSU defense is making OSU’s offense look bad, while MSU’s offense is making OSU’s defense look good.
But this is college football, which means we’ll probably see an offensive explosion in the second half, right?