Mississippi State suffered its first loss of the season last week on the road at Georgia and this week doesn’t get any easier with a trip to Auburn on the docket. While the Tigers look to have as much talent as any team in the SEC, the Bulldogs have beaten this team three out of the last five meetings.

State coach Dan Mullen spoke during the SEC’s weekly Coaches Teleconference Wednesday.

Here’s a summary of what the Mississippi State coach had to say on the call:

  • “Our guys are back to work. We played really well two weeks ago, not so well last week. It helps turning on the film and showing that to young guys. I think it was obvious for them to see.”
  • How tough is this three-game stretch (vs. LSU, at Georgia, at Auburn)? “Obviously a tough challenge, that’s what you get in the SEC West. That’s what guys come here for. Hard not to say this isn’t the best league. It comes down to us preparing the guys and them coming out and performing.”
  • What’s the biggest turnaround in pass defense? “Todd’s done a great job of putting guys in position to make plays and be sound against a lot of things. The biggest thing for me is getting 11 guys running to the ball as hard as they can. That was my deal when I was meeting with new coaches. The effort on that side of the ball has improved.”
  • What challenges does Auburn present? “They have some talent on the outside, guys that can run by you. You can see the quarterback is getting more comfortable. He’s getting more comfortable in the system.”
  • Auburn’s getting a ton of tackles for loss, how do you steer away from letting that continue? “You have to stay out of third and longs, that’s probably the biggest thing.”
  • Thoughts on Kevin Steele’s defense at Auburn? “Kevin has been pretty consistent. He’s done a good job of getting guys in the right position. They always throw in wrinkles. Pretty consistent overall.”