STATE of the Dawgs Week 1 (Eastern Kentucky vs Mississippi State)

God I'm telling you my dogs are barking today but man my dogs are barking well welcome in to the my dogs are barking podcast and welcome in to state of the dogs where we are giving an update about Mississippi State uh and where we are with them we're bringing in a co-host Austin uh Austin man it's football season like it's it's time man how are you feeling it is man I'm feeling I mean just so much excitement I'm just so so excited to finally be back the countdown's been going for so long and it's just it's hard to believe that it's finally here like I just I'm still thinking about it it's still hard to foul I'm just so excited week zero felt so great to get back in that Saturday Groove and I mean it's only up from here that's right I mean we we finally made it to the week of so we can start looking forward to saying hey this Saturday we have a full scope of games uh and for Mississippi State this show you know all throughout the offseason if you have have some time we have interviewed a representative from each team the Mississippi state's going to be facing throughout the 2024 season U take a look at those those are some good insight into each and every team um but this series that we're starting this week state of the dogs is just talking about kind of an update where we are this week so we're going to be talking about injury news talk about starters uh all those kind of things that are that are kind of relevant to this week and so to get a started Austin uh man I'd love to go over you know the the actual depth chart was released this week and something interesting on the depth chart was that Kon Lee the the transfer from Penn State was seen as running back number one also listed up there kind of as an or option was Devon Booth the Utah State transfer uh anything uh kind of just some takeaways from this having Kei Von Lee uh as as running back number one I also mention uh Jeffrey Pitman we Jeff Le Coach Jeff leby mentioned is no longer or is not with the team currently he did not say no longer with the team period currently so he could come back um but take takeaways uh having having Mr uh Kavon Lee as running back number one yeah I think uh I remember when he transferred to Mississippi State it was kind of out of left field and uh you know we had Woody Marks here and obviously this is this is coming into year to last year didn't really play much Jeffrey Pitman got a lot of snaps but it was mainly woody woody marks uh got you know handful of snaps and pretty much got most of them he led the league uh Led Led in rushing but Kon Lee I mean he is he was kind of a question mark for us last year I thought he was going to play more than he did but obviously now that I mean uh Woody marks is left you know it's just it's only up from here for Kon Lee I'm really excited about having him uh he had a lot of a lot of great times at uh at Penn State and I look you know you if you haven't already like look at some of the highlights of Kon Lee he's uh just a really really I mean Dynamic running back he can kind of do whatever he wants you to and we have just a good a good running back room in general I think Devon Booth honestly it wouldn't surprise me if you tell me at week 10 that he's the starter at running back I mean we have a lot of guys Xavier gton I think uh is his name he uh was the number one player on on three uh last year in the recruiting class he's just a true freshman he's going to get some snaps week one versus EKU and then you got obviously Jeffrey Pitman you said is not on the team right now he probably will be coming back that I mean just that I'm guessing but you know just some internal matters with all that and so we'll see but I'm really excited to have this running back room and Kon Lee I think he's in it for a honestly a really good season I'm really looking forward to having him yeah you know something to mention with with Kon Lee that I I didn't realize you know last season I understand it's a different offense and everything but last season Kon Lee only got 12 carries but in those 12 carries he rushed for 75 yards which is over six yards a carry um go back two years or two years prior he was at Penn State he rush for over 500 yards as a true fr fresman in the Big 10 now he has an offense that uh that is going to be very very dynamic as you mentioned but you know Jeff leby you know you think about these downfield shots that that he had at Oklahoma but he uses the running back position uh frequently he he runs a lot of guys in the running back room so Keon Lee could be in for a great year not not only is he gonna be a guy who like because it's not like he's the bcal the feature back that that's going to get 30 carries a game if he carries the ball you know he had 12 carries all season last last year if he carries the ball 10 times in a game you know what's he going to do uh whenever whenever play actions added to the to the mix and you mentioned you know Xavier giden that's a guy that um on three uh had as a four-star running back last season nobody has been nobody's talking about him he's a guy that that Jeff leby mentioned that this Saturday he will see some playing time at some point um and then you mentioned Devon Booth uh is there you know whenever Pitman gets back that'll be great but I mean you have really really three running backs that could be playing a lot and honestly four when you count count Johnny Daniels who played a lot in the spring game so Mississippi state's rushing attack could look very different or well pardon me will look very different than how we've seen it uh honestly we might be able to see a a running game um maybe people get as many touches as they did in 2019 it was the last time because after the air raid and after you know whatever last season was uh so it is it's interesting to to think about what ke Lee can do um and another guy that is going to be very important to this team of course is Blake shapen and Blake shapen uh being being QB number one uh is going to be leading the team he mentioned in a press conference today how excited he is to take the field um every time he talks man there there just doesn't there there seems to be a level of confidence in his ability and so you know coming into to man we've talked about it all offseason but it's actually here Austin what do you make about Blake shapen being QB number one like what does that bring to the table in terms of a mindset going into a game knowing he's going to be the guy yeah I think it's good that we have I mean right when Blake shapen uh announced that he's he's transferring here I think everybody knew all State fans knew that he was going to be our guy we weren't going to go try to get somebody else I know we were we were looking at all kind of quarterbacks uh going into the transfer portal but right when Blake shapen transferred I think everybody knew he's our guy and I mean I hear a lot of people in the media talking about it but I think that we go as far as Blake shapen takes us this season if Blake shapen has a bad season I mean the Bulldogs are going to have a bad season if he has a great season like he had in 2021 then I think that we're I mean we're we're made for a good season so I'm really excited about having him I mean he was great at Baylor when he was stayed healthy but that's the main problem you got to stay healthy and in this in this league with the huge defensive linan that we have it's just going to be so so important to keep Blake shape and healthy just because you know Chris Parson you know he's you know played a little bit last year I mean he had zero touchdowns and three interceptions I think that he has a very high ceiling but he's not there yet and I obviously he needs a lot more time to develop uh Michael vaner in the third string is he's he's I mean he was good coming out of high school but again we haven't seen him and he's just a true freshman and so I don't think that we need to put any pressure on those guys to be starting in the SEC uh you know going into this season it's all on Blake shapen hands and you know I truly believe that we're only as good as Blake shapen is and we'll see where he takes us I'm honestly I'm really excited and I feel confident and like you said Jeff leby has completely confidence listen to all these press conferences he's always talking about Blake shapen and how they just their minds think alike and they're just you know they're very similar and they you know they both talk about winning so much I mean that's really all Blake and Jeff leby talk about is just you know trying to win games win as many games as possible they have uh you know they have goals set for this season and I'm really excited to see Blake shaping and I feel you know I didn't really know at first how to think about it but I feel I feel good about it going into this season he had a spring with Jeff leby uh played great in the spring game had a really did some really goodl looking throws uh and just far you know throwing down deep throws that we haven't seen in so long so that felt really good and I'm feeling I'm feeling pretty good uh about Blake shapen yeah and uh it seems as if you know you're coming on to uh this this week we have a match of Miss with Mississippi State and Eastern Kentucky first game of the season uh Eastern Kentucky a team you know that that struggled last season you know lost it's kind of a kind of a wash lost guys to the portal got some guys in um one of the guys was um uh their quarterback is a transfer from I believe it's Western Illinois I apologize for not knowing exactly but he threw for 2,000 yards last season uh so a competent quarterback this defense certainly will be uh will be tested um when you think about this team uh and going into this week against Eastern Kentucky what EX exactly will like what what will this team like what will fans need to see coming out at at the end of week one at the end of this game what do you think fans should be saying about this game uh I think honestly it's just mainly one word and that's excitement I think that we need to go and we need to score 45 plus and we need to have a goodlooking offense we need to come out straight because if we just you know I'm nervous about the excitement in starville uh right now I don't know it is you know a lot of excitement were coming was happening last year and we thought we were going to win eight games last year and obviously we didn't even go to a bowl game so I think that really shook up a lot of fans and they don't really know uh to get excited for this season you know it's only year one for Jeff leby we're not expecting whole much you know a six and six would be so great and you know if he brings excitement and say hey State's playing in starv on Saturday we need like we need to go you know he says showtime and it's going to be a show and you know he talks about I mean there's only a handful handful of days that we go to Davis way to come out for a game and he wants to make it memorable and so I think it's very important for the fans to see excitement uh just because I think that they're just you know they've I mean to be honest last year was such a disappointing year they don't you know they're kind of nervous about this year and I think that Jeff leby needs to show week one hey we're coming to play we're gonna have an exciting offense and it's going to be it's going to be an exciting time to be in Davis Wade so I think that's very important to the fans and if the players show that you know they're really locked in and they're here to they're here to win ball games this season then I think that it's going to be a great a great you know a good a good enough year for the uh for the fans yeah yeah it seems as if at the end of the day you know obviously Mississppi State needs to win but really man they they need to get in and um they need to control the game from start to finish there does not this game does not need to be closed at the at the given moment Vegas has this game at Mississippi State by 25 and a half so three you know three touchdowns um you know a little little bit more almost most to four uh you know that would be you know that'd be something but Mississippi State honestly needs to win you know I would even I mean with 34 to 10 be something you'd be excited about I don't know I I I I feel like it needs to be further than that right yeah no I agree I mean I think that just week one I mean knowing who EKU plays I I'm not trying to disrespect him at all but I think that we really just need to light up that scoreboard I think that 45 plus is what we really do to shoot for even though I know we're going to talk about injuries but Kelly car not having him is going to hurt us but even then I mean I think that we really need to just empty out our bench by the end of the game I think we need to see everybody playing because this needs to be a game where it's not I don't want to be like we're going to be there we're going to be in attendance on Saturday I don't want to be nervous you know I don't want to there's there doesn't need to be a time halfway through the third quarter where I'm still you know still pretty nervous that does not need to happen yeah absolutely yeah at the end of the day Mississippi State needs to win this game um I mean I really they need to win it by 30 I mean they need to win win this game by a lot it does not need to be close um and look because of the the type of offense that that um that Jeff leby has taken shots down the field like all those things it it I would think because of just the difference really think about the difference in the offensive lines so that's where the gamees won a lot of the time is The Trenches right Mississippi State's offensive line this offensive line has not played together um but because of the quality at least that that we think Mississippi state has it's it would seem as if they're going to be able to run the ball very effectively and and score and and win uh rather easily but man you just you know you just never know what the outcome is going to be but yeah Mississippi State at the end of the day they you know this has been talked about this is not the first time we we've discussed it but Caleb Cunningham five star from chock County you know committed to Alabama even after he mentioned he has a lot of interest in Mississippi State in fact one of his visits he said he almost committed to Mississippi State and now this weekend is going to be at a visit at Old Miss well this is an opportunity to show these guys this offense can be successful um because right now they have no reason to believe that it can like that like because of the the past uh you know past history of wide receivers I think Jeff lebby knows that he knows they need to put on a show um but also you obviously don't want to give away too much but use use the depth that they have I think at the end of the day I think the running backs are going to be able to be very effective because there's so many of them the quality of our offensive line but keep Blake shaen protected don't get him hit I think that's going to be G to be a big takeaway and you mentioned we're going to be at the game so if there is any listeners who are also at the game and if you have you have a a second man we would love shoot us a DM we'd love to say uh say what's up while we are there um and and and lastly Austin man I want to talk about um the schedule so we we have a a very very exciting uh schedule because it is we're finally here like it's finally time uh for for football um just kind of start the morning on Saturday you got Georgia and Clemson that's 11 a kickoff I mean that really seems like it should be prime time but who am I I'm not an ABC official um especially because the prime time lineup there's really not a lot of great games late but that's okay um but yeah Florida and Georgia kick it off at 11 A.M also West Virginia and Penn State are also kicking off at 11 watch for West Virginia they have a lot of uh momentum and they're at home so just keep an eye on that one um Tennessee takes on Chattanooga get some SEC action akan and Ohio State kickoff um Texas and Colorado state will probably be interesting for the first quarter U but as far as 11 am uh section of games Georg and Clemson seem to be the winner there and then of course you got Miami and uh Florida there at 230 um moving on from here we have that 230 slot as I mentioned I think that Miami and Florida is going to be the best game available during that time everything else is just kind of a lot of other people's warm-up games then you move into the N Mississippi State and Eastern Kentucky at 5 o'clock uh Central moving into the evening Alabama takes on Western Kentucky at six o'clock but yeah as you mention as we talked about that that evening slot the only thing that that is a is a game you might want to see is Notre Dame and Texas A&M there at 6:30 for the prime time slot uh that ought to be a good game so Austin coming through these games oh also Old Miss takes on firman at six um coming through all these games Austin is there a mustat what would you say this week is the must-watch game of the week I mean it's it's tough you know just because it's week one you know it's so tough and uh you know one game I mean I'd like to point out I mean three of the games to be honest I think A&M Notre Dame is going to be a very important game for both teams you know they're trying to you know even if they lose two games they can still go to the playoff both of these teams and so I think it's very important for them Penn State West Virginia watch out for Garrett green at West Virginia that guy he can flat out ball and you know very West Virginia is going to be a sleeper this year I'm just saying but I mean I'm not I'm not gonna lie I haven't looked at the days I didn't know Clemson and George was playing at 11 that's so I mean that's wild I don't know who thought about that but I think that Clemson to be honest I mean they're my they're my national champion this year I think that because of what happened last year to them they were the number one team All Season then they lost one game to you hold hold on one second hold on one sec you said Clemson is your national title game did you mean Georgia no no no Georgia very sorry Georgia yeah I'm Georgia my bad yeah yeah that that very important my bad yeah Georgia is my national champs and I think that just because of what happened to him last year number one team All Season got beat out by Alabama and then they all of a sudden weren't in the playoff pitcher after being number one I think they're going to come out with so much fire this year and Clemson Kate kumnick I mean this is going to be a big year for here I think that he can be a a really Elite quarterback and what better way to show that at I mean you know at in Georgia I think it's in uh in Atlanta but still I mean you know mainly Georgia fans are going to be there I'm so excited for that game it's going to be I honestly think that's a must-watch game I think that you know both teams have so much to prove Dabo for the past what like three or four seasons have just getting well about three seasons has gotten so much hate so much hate and uh I think that this me what a way to you know to to shut the haters up and go in Georgia and beat Kirby on week one so I think this is a must-watch game I think this is the biggest game easily of uh of the week that's a good pick that early morning that 1100 a and they really are starting off starting off early starting off good it's gonna be gonna be a good a fun morning uh yeah that that that's GNA be a great game um that the Miami and Florida one is uh is interesting it's Miami and Florida is probably my pick here and it's because there's just so many question marks with both of them it's just interesting a every a lot of people right now Billy Napier is I believe it's four to one odds that he's the first head coach fired this season before anybody else before Sam Pitman even so people are wondering man is he gone well then on top of that people are now wondering about Miami Miami had that embarrassing loss last season to Georgia Tech um you know they're recruiting fairly well they recruited well in the portal for sure but like you know what's what's going to happen there they just always seem like they're they're ready to to be a train wre that's an interesting game for both teams whoever loses that game I don't know why I just have a feeling but whoever loses that game watch for the head coach even if it's Miami for people to start saying oh man is is he on the hot seat uh because that Florida's not not a team you should be losing to keep an eye on that game um that would be my my must-watch game of the week I just I think it's gonna be really interesting the I would say the best game of the week though is going to be in that evening slot that 6:30 kick Notre Dame and Texas a that just has a close one possession game written all over it right now Texas A&M is favored by two and a half so you know basically a field goal there at the end uh and I certainly could certainly could see that happening um by the end of the night so uh man I tell you what we we are so excited for this season so excited for state of the dogs uh this is week number one and we have uh we have something every single week throughout the season we might even bring on uh a couple of guests maybe even to to preview uh a match up for that week um we'll kind of dive into to the college huddle Network for for some of those sources but we are so excited uh for the future of the my dogs are Barkin podcast man it's going to be a great time the season Austin final question here um with this game coming up this week with uh EKU in Mississippi State give us your prediction we we need a score prediction from you what do you think yeah and like like I said it's just so hard you know I think I'm I'm to be honest just looking out I you know what happened last year I'm nervous for it a lot of question marks on defense I mean pretty much the whole defense is is a question mark uh one of the guys that we were going to depend on so much Cory ellenson is going to be out he's gonna be out week one but he's also going to be out probably a couple more weeks than that so we're not going to have him so just so many question marks on defense we don't know offense almost entirely new offense so it's just so hard to give a prediction I'm G say you know I think they're going to score about 10 points I think that our defense I'm GNA say 14 I'm G give him 14 but I think we're going to go out there and score 42 I think that we need I mean I would love to score more than that but I don't I just don't know I would love to just empty our bench and just absolutely destroy them and just be dominant the whole time but you know I'm just I'm really going to be interested to see how that first quarter is going to go and you know go from there but Jeff leby first game ekku I mean this is I mean we're playing a FCS team and it just feels like such a big game you know and this feels like you know this doesn't feel like just any any UT Martin this is this is you a very important game for Jeff leby I know he's going to be probably pretty nervous and these players they got to be ready to play I don't care who we're playing they got to be ready to come to Davis Wade and dominate yeah and I'll tell you you know this game is set at and I'm glad you mentioned the points I think you're right there I think somewhere in the teens is probably right to expect from Eastern Kentucky right now Vegas has this game over under at 60 and a half points so they think a lot of points going to be scored in this game uh which which hits right about where I'm thinking I'm thinking Mississippi State wins this game 4516 somewhere around there I I think uh I think that that Eastern KY is going to score a little bit um get a touchdown or two um and then then hit a couple field goals but man I really think anything under 40 points in my opinion I really think it's going to be looked at as a disappointment just because of the hype this offense but you know you're right this is the this is their first season they've never done this before so the Mississippi State fans of course have to be patient but look from what fans had to sit with last season and you remember I go back to it often but it's week three of last season Mississippi state is coming off a win against Arizona they're hosting LSU uh during the day and the fans who were there who sat and watched LSU just dismantle miss it wasn't competitive in the trenches was not competitive will appreciate the the fact that Mississippi State scores 40 points in this game it's just such a far cry from last season and so there's a lot to be built upon there's a lot to be excited about um if you are a Mississippi State fan Friday uh is cowbell Yale if you're in starvel or near that Ernest is going to be performing that's going to be huge that that's a great thing to support Mississippi State in um Hardy is going to be performing Duty Noble field in two weeks there's a lot to be excited about if you're Mississippi State fan so um get to checking that out if you're just a college football fan there's a lot to be excited about as well so we as we we checked out those last couple of games Austin are you excited for this weekend man I'm excited man hail State it's gonna be gonna be a great great weekend I'm so excited to be back at Davis Wade it's going to be a great time uh and we thank you guys so much for listening and for watching uh the my dogs are barking podcast he's awesome I'm Landon and thank you so much for tuning in to state of the dogs on the my dogss are barking podcast e