Bulldogs try to check emotions before Florida matchup
Since taking over as Mississippi State’s head coach, Joe Moorhead has stressed to his team the importance of showing emotions without being emotional.
However, the Bulldogs let their emotions get the better of them last weekend in a loss at Kentucky which resulted in four unsportsmanlike conduct flags and one roughing-the-passer penalty.
“It became too emotional and turned into a bunch of individual battles as opposed to playing as a team,” Moorhead said.
MSU was penalized 16 times for a loss of 139 yards, with Moorhead taking the biggest issue with those four 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct fouls.
“I think you can compete hard, exert maximum effort and do the things necessary to be successful on every play without losing your head and being hot-tempered,” Moorhead said. “There’s a difference between playing hard and picking up the ball and throwing it at somebody or pushing somebody after the (whistle). That’s not toughness. That’s extra, unnecessary and unacceptable.”
Emotions will be a big topic this week.
There will be plenty of feelings on both sidelines when former MSU head coach Dan Mullen returns to town with the Florida Gators, along with seven assistants that also used to coach the Bulldogs. Florida (3-1, 1-1 SEC) is coming off a win over Tennessee. Mississippi State (3-1, 0-1) fell to No. 23 in the AP poll following the 28-7 loss to Kentucky.
“There’s an emotional component attached to this game that is relative to Coach Mullen and his staff being with these players for an extended amount of time,” Moorhead said.
“But at the end of the day, I’m not going to be on the field taking any snaps and neither are our assistants or any of their coaches. The game is going to be played on the field between the white lines between 11 Mississippi State players and 11 Florida players.”
Gerri Green and Jeffery Simmons called a players-only team meeting on Sunday that was unprompted by the coaching staff to address the extracurricular activity after plays.
Moorhead and his staff also have a new punishment plan in place to help deter those types of penalties in the future.
“We’re going to put an end to these unsportsmanlike conduct penalties,” Moorhead said.
“Any unsportsmanlike conduct penalty now, I’m going to pull the guy out of the game and he’ll come stand next to me and he’ll go back in when I tell him to. One way to catch their attention is to take away their playing time.”
