Along with crawfish, Abita Strawberry and sundresses, few things are more synonymous with spring in the South than the glorified scrimmages known as spring football games. The games may be mere exhibitions designed to entertain fans and further their belief this is “the year” their team breaks through and wins a championship, but that does not stop thousands of folks of all ages from flocking to the campus of their beloved university for a weekend of sporting events, concerts and fellowship with friends and family.
At Mississippi State, the spring football game is the centerpiece of Super Bulldog Weekend, which, along with Bulldog Bash, is one of the two biggest weekends of the year on MSU’s campus. Sure, there are baseball and softball games, tennis matches and a concert by a horrifically generic country act, but football is the headliner.
Coming off of a slightly disappointing season in which MSU head football coach Dan Mullen’s Bulldogs finished 7-6 with a victory over Wake Forest in the Music City Bowl, many State fans are anxiously awaiting the spring game to see what this year’s MSU squad will look like. All spring the questions have been asked: Will Tyler Russell live up to his potential? Who will step up and replace Vick Ballard at tailback? How on Earth are we going to replace Fletcher Cox at defensive tackle? And lastly, the most popular question in the history of MSU athletics: Are we going to throw the ball effectively this year?
There is one problem with all of these questions: The answers cannot be found in the spring game. You do not want to hear this, I know. However, it needs to be said. Following a spring game, message boards are rife with posts about how so-and-so is going to be a breakout wide receiver, or how (insert the name of any young offensive lineman) will never, ever be a starter during his career at Mississippi State. This is unfair to the players and coaches, and quite frankly, it is ridiculous.
The object of a spring game is to entertain. The important scrimmages take place during the spring practices or on other weekends, but the actual spring game is supposed to be a celebration, not a meaningful scrimmage. It is a chance for players to blow off some steam after a grueling spring, and it provides coaches with an opportunity to call all sorts of “gadget” plays they may never have a chance to run in a game. The game is supposed to be fun, and it should be viewed that way.
Do not get me wrong. It is fun to watch a spring game. Hell, it is fun to watch any sort of college football. Just do not let your emotions swing too far in either direction after the game. Due to the coaches having to split the team up in to two squads, there is no way for each team to be balanced. One team will inevitably have more talent than another, and players will often be forced to play alongside players they are not familiar playing next to. This always results in some blown assignments, particularly along the offensive line, which is currently the weakest position on MSU’s team.
As has been noted all spring, the Bulldogs are in great shape at many positions. This year’s MSU team probably has the deepest group of wide receivers, running backs, cornerbacks, linebackers and maybe even defensive lineman of any team Mullen has fielded at MSU. The main question entering the spring game is along the offensive line, and due to the split squads, it will be impossible to form an accurate opinion of a unit that will look drastically different in a real game. This year’s offensive line is young, and many of the players who are going to be starting for the Maroon and White teams will have never played in front of a large crowd on Scott Field. Try not to freak out if a player misses a block or two. It is going to happen.
Super Bulldog Weekend is about having fun, both on and off the field. Saturday afternoon, the lights will come on in Davis Wade Stadium. Cowbells will ring. Smoke from grills in the Junction will hover over the field, and cold beverages will fuel the revelry, which is sure to take place. Saturday is a day of celebration, of rejoicing. The game is the reason everyone is gathered together to eat, drink and be merry. This is the one time all year when a football game is literally just a game. Remember that.