Joe Moorhead is facing tough times.
The second-year Mississippi State football coach already seems to be at a crossroads in Starkville.
Moorhead inherited a program loaded with talent and has gone 11-8 with it (the record dips to 6-8 when you just consider Power Five opponents). The low point came Saturday when the Bulldogs lost to Tennessee, 20-10, giving the Vols — who had only beaten Chattanooga this year — their first SEC victory.
“We were outcoached, we were outplayed with 13 days to prepare. We need to do better, and we will because our fans deserve it,” Moorhead said.
On Tuesday, true freshman Garrett Shrader was named the starter when the Bulldogs take the field against No. 2 LSU on Saturday.
“I think what we’re doing is giving our team the best opportunity to succeed,” Moorhead said.
Shrader led MSU to a 28-13 victory over Kentucky in his first career start last month and has relieved senior Tommy Stevens on four other occasions, three of which were due to injuries to Stevens.
“Garrett led us to the win over Kentucky and the way that he came in at the end of the Auburn game and provided a spark and did the same thing at Tennessee,” Moorhead said. “Tommy’s still not completely over some of his (injuries) right now. We just feel like Garrett’s been playing and moving the ball well and gives us a great shot.”
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Shrader has completed 57.7 percent of his passes this season for 590 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and is second on the team with 374 rushing yards and two more scores.
Moorhead isn’t completely giving up on Stevens either. He feels the former Penn State graduate transfer can use the time to heal up from the right shoulder and right foot injuries he’s sustained this season.
“Tommy’s still going to play a valuable role for us,” Moorhead said. “I’m sure he’ll be in the game again at some point.”‘
Moorhead hates to move away from Stevens, but that isn’t the biggest issue facing the MSU head man.
The Bulldogs looked uninterested and uninspired in Saturday’s loss at Tennessee. He said it was hard to see his daughter crying on the field at Neyland Stadium after last week’s game. He said it was hard to console her while walking off the field to people telling him that “he sucks.”
“But they were right, on that day I did suck.”
Moorhead says every waking moment of his life that’s not spent with his family is spent trying to make Mississippi State a championship level program. He says it’s hurt deeply to be behind in doing so at this point in his tenure.
Things won’t get any easier when LSU comes in Saturday. The Tigers are an early 19-point favorite against the Bulldogs (3-3, 1-1 SEC).
The Tigers are a perfect 6-0 and coming off a 42-28 victory over Florida in a top 10 matchup.
If the seat is hot now for Moorhead, it could get a little more uncomfortable for him with a poor showing Saturday.
