Fletcher Cox has kept moving forward, because that's where his focus lies.

Right now, his focus is on getting better and becoming a more dominant defensive tackle for Mississippi State. That effort was recognized again Monday, when he was named the SEC co-defensive lineman of the week.

It's the fourth time this season Cox, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound junior, has won the award. In Saturday's 31-3 win over Ole Miss, he recorded five tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss and forced a fumble.

For the season, Cox has 49 tackles, 12.5 TFL and 4.0 sacks. He said he's playing his best ball to date, and he knows why: Experience. He'd already started 15 games before this season.

"Just maturing," Cox said. "I've seen a lot of ball in those two years, so you kind of know how to study and how to take on things."

This season actually began with Cox on the bench, as he served a one-game suspension for an unspecified violation of team rules. He was admittedly rusty the first few games after that, but about midseason Cox really started kicking into gear.

Over his last six games, Cox has recorded 26 tackles, 11.0 tackles-for-loss and 4.0 sacks. That counts the UT Martin game, in which he played only a handful of snaps as backups got some work.

Cox said the suspension hasn't been a driving force for him. Hasn't been an issue at all, positive or negative.

"I don't look back. I always look forward," he said. "That game, it's just a game that I missed."

While the reason for Cox's suspension has never been specified, such a thing can lead to a negative perception. But the Yazoo City native has had a stellar reputation at MSU, and this was just a blip.

"I've never been asked about it ever since then," Cox said. "Nobody's asked about it. I've never thought about it after that week. It was over."

As he continues looking forward, Cox sees himself coming back for his senior year at MSU. The industrial technology major is good enough now to get drafted by an NFL team, but he said, "I plan on coming back."

The Bulldogs, 6-6 and headed to a bowl game, could use him for one more year.

Cox and junior nose tackle Josh Boyd have become a strong tandem in the middle. Boyd has 50 tackles, 7.0 TFL and 3.0 sacks. He's not won an SEC weekly honor this year, although Cox thought he'd get one after an 11-tackle outing against Alabama.

"I said, 'Get ready for that message Monday,'" Cox said. "I asked him did he get it, he said, 'Naw.' I said, 'We're going to keep working. We ain't going to worry about that. We've got a season to finish.'"

brad.locke@journalinc.com