Mississippi State had a real shot to take down Alabama last weekend for the first time in a decade but fell just short at home, giving up a last-minute touchdown that was the deciding factor in the game. How will the Bulldogs respond to the tough loss?

That’s the challenge for Dan Mullen and his MSU coaching staff this week as the team heads to Arkansas.

Mullen spoke during Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference. Here’s a summary of what the Mississippi State coach had to say:

  • Opening statements: For our guys, it’s been a good week of practice. This will be a huge challenge for us, going into Arkansas. Bret does a good job coaching those guys up. They’ve battled through injuries, we have been there before. Austin Allen many had as the best QB in the SEC heading into the season and he’s back healthy.
  • Thoughts on Calvin Ridley’s big game? They have a ton of talent and he’s a great player, a special player. To stop him, you have to have two guys on him. That’s tough to do with all the talent they have. He had some explosive plays when he was singled up.
  • How do you coach that up? You have to know where he is. They move him around. They tend to have that one go-to receiver, they don’t put him in the same spot. They move him all over the field. He’s going to get his numbers. They put a focus on getting him the ball.
  • How difficult is it to rebound from a tough loss like Bama? Well, I don’t know if we got any pats on the back this week. Any time you come off a tough loss, that’s life in the SEC. Whether you win or not, you have to buckle it up and get ready to play the following week and our guys understand that. You can’t let the last week affect the following week.