After playing three-straight home games, Joe Moorhead’s Mississippi State Bulldogs are gearing up for a road game at Auburn. MSU played away from home to start the 2019 game, but taking on Louisiana-Lafayette in the Superdome (instead of Cajun Field) isn’t quite the same as going to Jordan–Hare Stadium for a night game.

On the weekly SEC media teleconference, Moorhead was asked about preparing for a true road game.

” I don’t know if you can replicate it but you try to prepare for it,” Moorhead said, “more for the offense than the defense with added noise.”

While the Tigers are at home, Moorhead’s Bulldogs will still do their best to make AU freshman QB Bo Nix uncomfortable.

“You want to make it as difficult as you can but Bo, much like (Mississippi State QB) Garrett (Shrader), is very mature; (he) plays with poise,” Moorhead said. “We will do our best, but he is a cool customer back there.”

The second-year MSU head coach also talked about his quarterbacks, star running back Kylin Hill and more:

  • On Tommy Stevens: Both guys practiced yesterday, both with the 1s and 2s, but we will see how it goes during the Friday walkthrough.
  • On Kylin Hill being a fit for Moorhead’s offense: I think the productivity and the efficiency of the offense runs through the running back… we have had a player of the year at just about everywhere… we are able to pass the ball better this year and the carries that were going to the QB last year is now going to Kylin.
  • On what he said to Hill after his final TD: Great job, that was a tough run… paraphrasing — that’s how an All-American plays… you have to show emotion and passion for your kids
  • On Stevens improving after taking the week off: Yeah, I think – he threw in practice yesterday like he had been throwing in camp. I don’t want to say he’s completely healed, but this is as good as he’s looked since the injury.
  • On Kareem Walker’s status: This year? He is still going through administrative issues, but a lot of (the uncertainty on his status) is on how that works out.
  • On reviewing the film of Kentucky game: We had a QB play the entire game, that was positive… we tackled better, we were better on third down, we played good situational football. Offensively, Garrett was 13 of 16, we ran it more efficiently… and we finished in the fourth quarter, that was the biggest thing.
  • On gaining 11 turnovers: that was a huge point of emphasis… we thought we could improve there and focused on it… I don’t think we can stone people like we did last year so we bridge that gap by creating more turnovers.
  • On what Shrader is like: Unique, very intelligent… he dances to the beat of his own drummer. I’m trying to find the right word — I guess unique would be the right one.