State gets back to basics on field

December 14, 2011

By MICHAEL WARDLAW
sdnsports@bellsouth.net

Make no mistake about it, Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott throws a pretty football.
During Tuesday’s practice, he hit Jameon Lewis in stride for a 60-yard strike.  However, moments later he missed a wide-open target in the flat. Nothing against Prescott, that’s just the nature of what’s happening this week during MSU’s first week of bowl preparation.
One could easily coin this week as ‘rookie week’ because that’s practically the only players getting snaps this week. 
“We won’t have the older guys a whole bunch.  We’ll get the younger guys and run them pretty hard,” said State’s offensive coordinator Les Koenning.  “They need it because they’ve been on scout team and doing different things all year and now all of the sudden we put them in there and say you’ve got to know these plays.”
Mullen echoed Koenning’s sentiments.
“We’re working fundamentals and getting back to a lot of basics, a lot of the things we don’t have time for during the season,” he said.  “They don’t even understand practice all of the time so this week gives them an opportunity to understand what spring is going to be like because we are counting on them to take that next step forward.”
In the early going, several players have made plays that quickly got attention and there are indications that there are several talented, young players on the roster.
“You can see that he has talent but is very inconsistent and he knows that,” said Koenning of Prescott.  “He says ‘coach it is just different’ and it is different. The speed of the game has picked up and you’ve got to react quicker.”
Junior receiver Chad Bumphis, who sat out State’s Gator Bowl victory with an injury, sees the progress in the youngsters as well.
“They look good, but I think it is mainly because they feel comfortable out there," said Bumphis. "Joe (Morrow) you can tell right now he is just a lot more comfortable. There’s not a lot of new stuff in, it's just basic stuff, so they’ve done real good.”
Mississippi State will continue their week of bowl preparation today with a 1 p.m. session that is once again open to the public.