After watching Alabama run roughshod over every defense it has faced thus far, including a Georgia squad that is often considered the best in the nation, it’s tough not to be bullish this weekend. Still, Mississippi State has managed to turn many of the matchups between the geographically closest SEC foes into ugly street fights over the years, and looking past them in Mike Leach’s inaugural season could have the same effect.
Upon his hiring, Leach brought in Zach Arnett from San Diego State to run the defense. Arnett is a disciple of the Rocky Long 3-3-5, a stunting one-gap scheme designed to confuse the offensive line and get free runners on both standard and passing downs.