Last Saturday’s game against University of Florida was disappointing for a myriad of reasons. Losing to a team we wanted so badly to beat is upsetting, and it was not the way many fans thought the night would go.
However, the biggest disappointment came in the fourth quarter, when a large majority of the fans started to chant at head coach Joe Moorhead to put in the backup quarterback. Boos rang throughout the stadium as the plays became increasingly unsuccessful, and the usually deafening rings of the cowbells died out. Our job as fans is to stand by the players currently on the field, not make them feel worse or completely abandoned.
Although seemingly absent in the last game, one amazing quality of Mississippi State University’s fans is how we always seem to continually cheer on our team, win or lose. In 2017, Chandler Rome of The Anniston Star said MSU fans create an atmosphere unlike any other in Davis Wade Stadium.
“The atmosphere inside Davis Wade Stadium is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s the best gameday experience and atmosphere I’ve seen in more than 10 years of attending and covering SEC football,” Rome said.
Furthermore, Paul Finebaum from the SEC Network claimed we have the most genuine fans in the SEC.
“I’ve been here many times. They are simply the best and most genuine fans in college football. I have one request, more cowbell,” said Finebaum in a 2016 podcast.
What happened last Saturday does not reflect what is typically said about MSU’s fans. We need to remember no matter how the game is going, it is the job of the students to continue cheering for the players on the field. Shouting criticism and booing only has the potential to make the players perform even worse. It looks hypocritical if one minute, a fan is cheering and singing “Don’t Stop Believing,” and then the minute a sack happens, they shout for the player to get removed while he is still on the field. 
Moorhead is optimistic about the future of the team, and therefore, MSU fans should be, too. According to Tyler Horka of The Clarion Ledger, at the press conference after the Florida game on Saturday, Moorhead promised the team will work successfully as a unit soon. “It’s not if—it’s when,” said Moorhead, as reported by Horka.
Putting trust in a coach who just arrived in Starkville is a lot to ask, but showing support is the first step. Not only do we need to make sure we continue to show up and stay the whole length of the game, but we need to stand by the team, even through the bad stretches. The outpour of boos and chanting of another quarterback’s name was shocking to say the least. It is not reflective of what was said about MSU’s fans in the past, the way they should be now. 
Going into Saturday’s game against Auburn, MSU fans should remember not to jump ship if the game starts to go south. Chanting at the coach to change his line-up will not make him change his mind, and it can only potentially make the players perform even worse. Players get shouted at all the time from the opponent’s fans—they do not need to hear it from their side of the stadium as well.