STARKVILLE — Mississippi State wide receiver Austin Williams said head coach Mike Leach has instilled the mentality of “come out swinging first” in the Bulldogs.
Through seven games, MSU has taken that to heart.
The Bulldogs have outscored opponents 66-7 in the first quarter of games this season, one of the best margins in the country.
“You always want to start fast,” Williams said. “That’s awesome.”
The Bulldogs are 12-4 when scoring first in Leach’s tenure, and their 9.43 points per game average in the first quarter is tied for 14th-best nationally.
MSU has allowed just one touchdown in the first quarter, with Arizona scoring on its opening drive Sept. 10.
Its average of one point allowed per game in the first quarter is tied for third in FBS.
Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes said the quick starts are critical, especially on defense.
“That’s important in every aspect: not letting them be able to score and giving our offense back the ball,” Forbes said.
Bulldogs among most penalized teams
Mississippi State committed 13 penalties Saturday at Kentucky for a whopping 109 yards.
The Bulldogs were flagged for six false starts, five holds — three on defense, one on offense and one on a kick return — and two unnecessary roughness fouls.
Asked about the defensive holding calls in particular, Leach said a variety of things explained the flag-fest.
“I saw technique that we need to be better at, I saw dumb, and then I saw some that were kind of curious calls,” he said.
Penalties have become a trend for Mississippi State this season.
Through seven games, MSU has allowed the 13th-most penalty yardage in FBS at 71 penalty yards per game and 497 in all.
The Bulldogs have committed only 48 penalties all year, meaning they’re giving up penalties averaging more than 10 yards apiece. MSU’s 6.9 penalties per game mark is tied for 87th-fewest.
Opponents, meanwhile, have committed 50 penalties in all but are averaging just 51.57 penalty yards per game against Mississippi State.
The impact of all those flags showed Saturday as the Bulldogs handed Kentucky five first downs on penalties alone.
Raybon shows off strong leg
Ben Raybon appears to have ceded his placekicking job back to Massimo Biscardi, but the Northern Colorado transfer has still played an important role for the Bulldogs.
Raybon, MSU’s primary kickoff specialist, has done an admirable job in his first year with the team.
He ranks 32nd in FBS with a kickoff average of 63.81 yards.
Twenty-four of Raybon’s 37 kickoffs have resulted in touchbacks, the 30th-highest number of any FBS kicker.
Raybon’s touchback percentage, 64.86 percent, ranks 40th nationally.
While the graduate kicker might not be handling any more field goals or extra points — unless Biscardi struggles again — Raybon has been what the Bulldogs have needed on kickoffs.
MSU was just 75th on kickoffs in 2021, with only 55.6 percent of kickoffs going for touchbacks. Scott Goodman was 91st of 100 FBS kickers in average yardage at 60.79.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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