Mississippi State coach Mike Leach turned to quarterback Will Rogers toward the end of Saturday’s game against No. 12 Kentucky and made one thing clear.
“We’re not going to just run the ball,” Leach told his sophomore signal-caller. “We’re going to attack these guys.”
The Bulldogs led 31-17 when the Wildcats punted the football with 7:51 remaining. Kentucky never got it back.
Instead, Mississippi State ran out the clock on the visitors, executing a 12-play, 55-yard drive that did not result in points but proved to be far more valuable.
And Leach’s choice to remain aggressive made it all happen.
While most coaches might choose to stick to the ground game in the hopes of chewing clock, Leach showed he wasn’t afraid to throw the football — not that he ever is — when the Bulldogs needed it.
“Well, we wanted to keep the ball,” Leach said. “We had it for eight minutes, but you’re not going to have the ball and you may not even get a first down if you’re not willing to attack what the defense is giving you.”
Mississippi State did that, beginning the second Jaden Walley hauled in Colin Goodfellow’s punt with a wave for a fair catch at his own 25-yard line.
With six run plays and six pass plays on the drive, the Bulldogs remained remarkably balanced all the way to the Kentucky 20, where they simply ran out of time.
“We really wanted to score, but we didn’t,” Rogers said.
Mississippi State almost did. Running back Jo’quavious Marks strolled into the end zone from 15 yards with 1:11 to go, but a holding penalty on the Bulldogs nullified the touchdown and pushed the Bulldogs back to the 25.
From there, Marks ran twice for 2 and 3 yards before the clock ran out, and Mississippi State celebrated its second win of the season against a ranked team.
It was a deserved one for a Bulldogs team that doubled up the Wildcats in total yards and had a sizable lead in that category even before that final possession. Rogers went 36 of 39 passing for 344 yards, setting a Southeastern Conference record for completion percentage.
The quarterback credited his offensive line — which allowed two sacks but had a strong game in terms of run blocking and pass blocking — and his backs and receivers for their performances.
“We did a great job tonight,” Rogers said. “Guys got open. Guys were running hard, finding spots in the zone. That’s what it was all about tonight. They were dropping eight, and we found ways to get open, found space, and I found ways to get them the ball.”
Rogers found five receivers on his six fourth-quarter pass attempts, all of which were complete. A throw for a sixth receiver, Makai Polk, fell incomplete, but a pass interference penalty negated the play.
Marks was the only Bulldog to catch multiple passes on the drive, getting two first downs with catches of 9 and 5 yards.
Two backup running backs each had a catch from Rogers as well. J.J. Jernighan had a 3-yard reception, and Omni Wells saw his first offensive action of the year with a 3-yard grab.
Walley followed catches by Jernighan and Wells with a 7-yard grab for a first down, and Rogers found Washington State transfer Jamire Calvin for an 11-yard gain to move the sticks two plays later.
Calvin’s catch was the Bulldogs’ only play of more than 10 yards on the drive as Mississippi State slowly and methodically moved down the field. MSU faced five second downs but only got to third down twice; Walley’s catch converted the first time, and the pass interference flag saved the home team on the second try.
But while the Bulldogs’ four first downs on the drive were nice, they were a mere consolation.
“That is the expectation here: Every time we get in the huddle, we’re not just trying to get a first down,” Rogers said. “We’re trying to score every time we get the ball.”
It didn’t quite work out that way. But for the Bulldogs, that hardly mattered.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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