FOOTBALL | Blake Shapen - Game One vs. EKU

overall as as a good start to the season Blake it's tough getting to know guys quickly you know but you're thrust into this new world where this team's expected to go win ball games how fun was it to see all the work you put in with all these new guys have you been a new guy yourself and seeing it all end up on the school board the way they yeah I'm just thankful you know for this opportunity um at a new place Mississippi State and and I know a lot of other guys feel that way and it was fun just to be able to come out together um for the first time and playing Davis Wade and you know it was it was an exciting time for us and it was something that we were looking forward to and and now it's under our Bel so felt like during the off season uh with all the the talk about the transfers and the Freshman Jordan Mosley got kind of got lost in the shuffle when you're talking about this receiver's room but a lot of guys in Fall Camp talked about the work he'd put in so what did you see out of him tonight and you were able to connect with him for that explosive play Ear I've always known that Jordan's special um he he's very athletic and he can stretch the field he's very um athletic he's WR and then I've already known all those things so um just seeing the work that he's put in over Camp um Spring ball and then in the camp has been fun to watch and and I'm glad he got to go out there and show some things tonight how much was the offense kind of clicking in that first half have that feel being being in rhythm with those guys and you know what you see from this offense earlier yeah it felt good obviously um it was the first time for all of us but it it was fun just getting in the Rhythm with those guys and watching them play obviously yall can tell that we got some Playmakers and and watching them with the ball in their hands is very special see man you guys left some some points out there I mean you know so you have the big knif but there's still some things to clean out as coach talked about so as as the leader of this team in many respects how do you feel about that I mean knowing that this team can play better yeah no doubt I mean like I said that was the first thing I just said is that we can clean up some things and and looking back at the game we did a lot of good things but you know there are a couple drives that that we killed the drive and so we can keep um getting better and I think an emphasis for me is just to to let everybody know that we we haven't arrived or anything like we got a lot more to prove especially going in to play a good Arizona City team next week to call your own number there up especially that scramble that came over a touchdown how aggressive did you want to be running the ball yeah uh that wasn't intended on me to really run the football right there um it was it was a bad read by me and then you know I try to make a play and and that's what happened so yeah I mean I really wasn't supposed to pull that I was supposed to just hand the ball off you connected with a lot of guys tonight um that one to Kevin Coleman specifically um what did you remember about that or think about his performance in his first game with you guys which one Kevin Coleman yeah yeah touchdown in the corner oh yeah on like third I think yeah second second um we worked on that play all week and you know we schemed it up and and you know Kevin just ran right by the guy and they're in zone covered and so I just gave him gave him a ball and you know it happened to be one of our better Red Zone plays and and and we we executed it what tempo works better for you because you look like you did both the hurry up you guys did it pretty early in the game but then you slowed it down a little bit what do you like better what's more comfortable for you yeah I mean both of them are comfortable just because you know in third down situations we'll probably huddle a little more um to get the the the play right and what we want to do cuz we got to take time get the protection right and all those different things so I can see the back in to know where to go with the football so you know I'm comfortable with both you know we've worked on them throughout camps so yeah looks like you got some Roman numerals on your arm there uh what does what does that mean to you um yeah so I got this a couple years ago it's rejoice and hope be patient in Tribulation and be constant in prayer so that's a verse that I've lived by for you know a couple years and you know I got I think my red red shirt freshman year Baylor and you know that's my favorite verse how do you think your offensive line did tonight especially Albert I think he end up playing three positions I they'll scored him at least two of those maybe all three times he was a different spot yeah Albert's a special player um very physical big guy and you know he can do it all so to lean on a guy like that has been big for us and and we need him every single week when you guys are so explosive like this obviously like you said a lot to work on but what do you learn in a first game with a team in first game with a lot of these guys when you have that many opportunities to maybe go look at tape and see scoring happen yeah I mean I think for us is like just improving each and every week um we had an explosive game and in some ways but there there are ways that we could have been better um so just taking that you know week by week and getting better you know each week you mention you guys having arriv yet that feel of where improving how important is that you guys had so much success success and you still haven't reached that peak of where you guys can yeah I think you know for us is is going to watch the film um cleaning up all the things that we need to get better at and you know no matter what type of game that you have you're always going to come back and wish you had you know a few plays back and that was the first thing that you know I realized when I came out was just knowing that there were a few plays that I wish I had back and that I could clean up and you know that's my goal going into this week is to clean those things up so I can get ready for Arizona State and be the best that I can be and that's that's the goal for everybody on our team how were the cow bells they were awesome and I didn't I didn't realize they're going to be that loud to be honest with you I mean they the stadium wasn't even half full and it was it was already loud so um that's pretty special I feel like with the showtime era a lot of that seemed like thinking about deep shots down the field but y'all provve tonight that it's deep shots down the field it's versatility Creeds M run even defense special teams making big plays that is that that pretty cool to see that it's a little bit of everything yeah I mean that it's everything in our offense and and our offense can be very explosive um but we got to do we got to do the little things right to make it explosive and and we can be explosive running the football and throwing the football and different creativity and different different ways you can do it how confident how confident are you in playing coach up as offense yeah I mean I'm very confident um I've learned a lot you know all the way up into this point I just got to keep learning but you know I've been very confident now you and the offense did your job offensively the defense dominated is the defense dominance allow you and the offense to play more relaxed in this game no doubt I mean when those guys are getting stops on the other side of the ball and and creating turnovers it gives us confidence to be able to go out there and and back them up whenever they go get a three and out they get a turnover whatever it is that we we feel like we got to go back them up so yeah for sure