TAMPA, Fla. — After it was over, Mississippi State football coach Zach Arnett said he planned to enjoy a nap on the plane ride home, then drink a “nice beverage” of choice.
Quarterback Will Rogers said he might turn his phone off for two weeks, enjoying time with friends and family while he can.
With the grind of the Bulldogs’ 2022 season — not to mention the tragedies along the way — MSU’s players and coaches have earned time to rest and recover after Monday’s ReliaQuest Bowl win over Illinois in Tampa, Florida.
“We’ve gone through some trials and tribulations, no doubt about it,” linebacker Jett Johnson said.
Most recently, head coach Mike Leach died Dec. 12 at age 61, but it wasn’t the only loss the Bulldogs suffered of late.
Freshman offensive lineman Sam Westmoreland was found dead in Starkville on Oct. 19, and former inside receivers coach Dave Nichol died of cancer in March.
Despite so much tragedy, the show had to go on. Without missing a game, Mississippi State played its 2022 season with heavy hearts.
And the Bulldogs played well.
Their 19-10 win over the Illini on Monday capped just the 10th season of nine or more wins in program history, a milestone of which Arnett and Rogers were both well aware.
It came despite what Rogers called a “really tough” slate, particularly in the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State faced five ranked teams, including No. 1 Georgia, in SEC play alone.
“That schedule was no joke,” Rogers said. “Week in and week out, we had challenges.”
Not every challenge went well. Mississippi State blew an early lead Sept. 17 at LSU and looked flat in back-to-back games at Kentucky and Alabama in October. Georgia handed MSU its only home loss of the year.
But the Bulldogs regrouped to take down their in-state rivals in Oxford on Thanksgiving Day, then finish the season strong against Illinois.
“Ole Miss and the bowl game: That’s what we needed,” wide receiver Justin Robinson, the ReliaQuest Bowl MVP, said.
Arnett noted in his postgame press conference a bowl game — let alone a New Year’s contest like Monday’s — is far from guaranteed.
He said he hoped the victory could “springboard” the Bulldogs into the offseason, with some eight months until their next game: the Sept. 2 season opener against Southeastern Louisiana.
“To finish it off like this with a New Year’s bowl win, incredibly proud for the whole Starkville and Mississippi State community. Hopefully this launches us into the offseason, and our guys enjoy some much-needed days off, and then we jump back into our work,” Arnett said.
There’s already the question of building a staff, which Arnett will have to do in his first stint as head coach. Already, inside receivers coach Drew Hollingshead has announced he will not be returning; outside receivers coach/passing game coordinator Steve Spurrier Jr. is also expected not to be retained.
Spurrier called offensive plays Monday, so his impending departure means Mississippi State will be in the market for a new play-caller. Leach previously called offensive plays for the Bulldogs.
On defense, linebackers coach Matt Brock called plays Monday, drawing rave reviews from Johnson on a day where seven different Bulldogs sacked Illinois quarterback Tommy DeVito.
Arnett declined to answer when asked if he himself would be calling defensive plays moving forward.
Mississippi State’s roster, too, will look different. Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, linebacker Tyrus Wheat and all three starting safeties move on, as do center LaQuinston Sharp and wide receiver Austin Williams.
But Rogers pointed out himself, Johnson, offensive guard Cole Smith and other returnees ready to make an impact in 2023.
“We’ve got a lot of guys coming back who have played a lot of ball,” Rogers said.
Before any Bulldogs begin preparation for next season, though, they’ll take the mental and physical break they sorely need.
Of course, before long, Mississippi State will be ready to build on what it accomplished Monday.
“Nine’s a big number,” Rogers said. “Hopefully we can keep building on this. We have a lot of work to do.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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