They say time heals all wounds, but for the Mississippi State defensive line, hard work, pain and eventually success are the only medicines to cure the sting of last season.
After finishing the year 10th in the SEC against the run, the front line of MSU’s defensive attack has had a lot of ground to cover in relatively little time. However with some intense training and a talented young core, the soldiers are working hard to sure up a united front.
“We’ve stressed the run a lot, trying to get more physical up front,” defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said.
Physical will come in the form of Andrew Powell and Deljuan Robinson. The two junior tackles will anchor the center of the defensive line standing 6-feet-2 inches and 6-feet-4 inches, and weighing in at a combined 600 lbs.
Mississippi Delta Community College transfer student Antonio Johnson, who according to coach Ellis Johnson, no realtion, “is doing a real good job, and has been a real pleasant surprise,” will back them up.
“He’s almost right there on that level with (Powell and Robinson), so that gives us good depth,” Johnson said of Johnson.
The size these mammoths bring to the center is not by accident, but rather by design. The same can be said for the speed players that will be flanking them as ends on the same line.
Michael Heard, the team leader in forced fumbles season, will be firing from the right side, while senior all-SEC player Willie Evans will be penetrating from the left side. Evans led all defensive linemen in the SEC last season with 5.9 tackles per game.
Sophomore Titus Brown, a converted linebacker, will be first off the bench to spell the two starters, and figures to play a major role in the defensive scheme. Brown closed out last season on an amazing tear, recording 29 tackles in the final two contests of the year, including a team-high 18 tackles against Arkansas.
“As a front we’re looking pretty good,” Evans said, “but we’ve also got a long way to go. We’ve got some young guys that have stepped in to help us out, and if we can get everyone on the same page, we’ll be pretty good.”
Ellis Johnson seemed pleased with the progression of his line, and has high hopes for correcting the woes of a defense that allowed 190 yards rushing per game last season.
“Our biggest problem last year, I think, was that we changed defenses in the middle of the year. We had to simplify. We had a lot of young guys, and we were never consistent during the games. We had too many long plays,” he said.
“One thing that is noticeable right now is that we are not having as many ‘breakout plays’. Everybody’s going to give up those five and six yard runs occasionally, but we’re keeping them from becoming breakout plays,” he continued. “If we can continually do that, then we’ll be better statistically against the run.”