Joe Moorhead is now in the midst of a two-game losing streak at Mississippi State following a 13-6 loss to Florida.

For the second straight game, Mississippi State struggled to get an offensive rhythm going. The Bulldogs had just 98 passing yards, and 104 rushing yards, and were 2-for-12 on third down. They were held scoreless in the second half.

After the game with reporters, Moorhead admitted that the offense needs to improve.

“For the defense to play it did, we’ve got to capitalize on some of those possessions to get points,” Moorhead said.

Moorhead said the offensive struggles in SEC games so far are because the Bulldogs are “getting behind the sticks” and not running the ball consistently to set up manageable down and distances on second and third down.

“When they’re bringing pressure the way they did, it’s hard to just hand the ball off with guys unblocked,” Moorhead said.

The Bulldogs return to action next week against Auburn.

Opening Statement

JM: I appreciate the fans coming out. It was a great atmosphere. They provided a great home-field advantage for us, but I am definitely disappointed in the loss. I thought for the second week in a row, we were unable to get anything going offensively in the second half. The defense played very, very well. They kept us in it and gave us an opportunity. If the defense is playing that way, I have to put a plan together offensively that puts us in the position to be successful. I have to call good plays, and when we call the good plays we have to execute them. Credit to Coach Mullen, his staff and Florida. We just have to find a way to start scoring some points on offense.

Q: When the defense plays well, how frustrating is it for the offense not to be able to score points?

JM: It is incredibly frustrating. I thought in the first half, we had three drives outside of two minutes. We scored field goals on two of them that we needed to convert to touchdowns. Series after series outside of the one, the defense was getting stops and forcing them to punt. We didn’t really have great field position, but for the defense to play the way they did, we have to capitalize on some of those possessions and turn them into points. It’s very frustrating.

Q: What are you seeing offensively on the sidelines with only one touchdown in two SEC games?

JM: We’re getting behind the sticks a little bit. We have to get the run game going with some consistently to stay in second and manageable and third and manageable down and distances. We have to do a good job of pass protecting. When we get a good route called and get someone open, we have to connect on it.

Q: In the first quarter, it looked like you did have the run game going. Was there a point in the game where that changed and the game slowed down?

JM: In the second half, we got off schedule a little bit. Once again, some of those were run calls. With it being a run-pass option, they turned into throws instead of handoffs. I think field position played a little into it in the second half. We have to find a way to stay ahead of the sticks and generate more yardage and points certainly.

Q: Did you consider calling more designed handoffs to get Hill and Williams more touches?

JM: Yes, we did. When they’re bringing some pressure the way that they did, it’s hard to just hand the ball off to guys when they have guys unblocked at the point of attack. That’s something you certainly take into account.

Q: How big was the play where MSU got the interception?

JM: We certainly have to capitalize on that thing. If you catch it and run it into the end zone, I think that would have been a shift on the scoreboard and a shift in momentum there. That didn’t make or break the game, but it certainly could have helped us.

Q: The teams you have played recently and Florida in particular have tried to get their offenses on the perimeter. How much have you talked about keying in and making sure offense don’t do it moving forward?

JM: We are seeing a lot of formation to the sideline and a lot of unbalanced. I know the defense worked on that all week, putting some new stuff in and some checks. With throwing quick screens in boundary. I think we did a good job minimizing them, rallying the ball and tackling them. Certainly, that will be something we continue to see moving forward.

Q: Is it to the point there will be some personnel changes? Would those likely be on the offensive line?

JM: We will look at the film tomorrow and make determinations from there. At this point, offensively we just have to make sure we are leaving no stone unturned and making sure we’re getting the best level on the field.

Q: Through the first half, it was a slower pace wise than the previous games. Was that by design?

JM: Yes, I think we were making a concerted effort to run the ball and come out to establish the run. I think in the first half, we had a bunch of carries. We threw nine passes, and we were moving the ball with some success on the ground. That’s what we wanted to do coming out early. We didn’t run the ball much last week, so we were going to run it some this week.

Q: Do you think the pace of the play calling mechanic and the check with me’s, is that what you want it to be right now?

JM: We want to be in the best play possible, whether that is running it fast or checking over to the sideline to get us in the right play.

Q: Were you expecting the dip and dunk screen passes Florida threw as much?

JM: I guess to a certain extent. We saw a lot of that with Louisiana and Kentucky did a little bit of it, but they stretched the field horizontally and found the soft spots in the zone and worked those bubble screens.

Q: What is your message to the fans with a lot of heads down?

JM: Myself included and the team included, I wouldn’t say heads down but certainly not where we want to be at this point in the season. We’re 3-2 after five games. We have a big game here at home against Auburn before the bye week. We have to figure a way to get the thing right, rally together and get this thing headed in the right direction.

Q: What about the defense made it so successful tonight?

JM: I thought we did a pretty good job stopping the run. I think the big thing was getting off the field on third downs. We bent a little bit, but we didn’t necessarily break. We had one trick play get us in the end zone, but for the most part we found a way to get off the field on third downs and force field goals in the red zone.

Q: Two of twelve on third downs, is that a case of being behind the sticks? What is going on with the third downs?

JM: We had been right at 50 percent or a little bit over. We got into some longer down and distances. I thought we did a good job of picking up some of the pressures but had a little bit of leakage there in some of the protections though. We have to get open on some routes. When the guys are open, we have to put the ball on them.