STARKVILLE — Mike Leach knows he used to be a lot more aggressive on fourth down.

His 2014 Washington State team had the most fourth-down attempts in the country with 40, though the Cougars converted just 18 times. The following year, WSU was in third place with 39 attempts but boasted an impressive 26-for-39 conversion rate, good enough to tie for 14th in the country.

“If you look back, we used to go for it on fourth down more than anybody,” Leach said.

At Mississippi State this season, that’s no longer happening. But Leach intends to change that.

Through nine games, the Bulldogs are tied for last among 130 FBS teams in fourth-down attempts with a mere six. MSU has converted four of its six tries.

San Diego State, Texas A&M and Clemson have the same number of attempts, but only the Aztecs have been successful four times. A&M has converted three fourth downs, and Clemson has converted just one.

But given the Bulldogs’ recent struggles in the kicking game, it might behoove Mississippi State to go for it more often, particularly in the red zone. Brandon Ruiz’s 23-yard missed field goal on fourth-and-goal at the Arkansas 5-yard line is a situation in which MSU could have tried to get seven points — and might in the future.

“I probably need to be a little more aggressive with it,” Leach said Monday. “I should’ve been to begin with.”

If he does, he could help offset the woes of a field goal unit that ranks No. 124 in the country with a 9 for 17 make rate this season. The Bulldogs are one of three schools with eight missed field goals and the only one with 17 or more attempts and single-digit makes.

Bulldogs must Nix QB run game again

Linebacker Jett Johnson knows the easy way to keep Auburn QB Bo Nix in check is to keep him in the pocket.

Or, you know, not.

“You would think that, but I’ve seen him get out of containment,” Johnson said Tuesday. “He definitely brings a big challenge.”

Nix has run 56 times for 161 yards this year, so he certainly isn’t a one-dimensional threat under center. But the Bulldogs have been up to the task in recent games.

Most recently, Mississippi State held Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson — who checks in at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds — to 14 yards on 11 rush attempts (8 carries for 27 yards not counting sacks).

On Oct. 23, the Bulldogs held Vanderbilt’s Mike Wright — the first dual-threat passer they’d faced this season — to 9 carries for negative-5 yards. Adjusted for sacks, the Commodores quarterback still had just 6 attempts for 15 yards.

Johnson said Mississippi State will have to do the same things that worked in Nashville and Fayetteville to contain the slippery Nix.

“We’re going to have to have great pursuit and get multiple hats to the ball,” Johnson said. “He’s very agile and will make the first guy miss, for sure.”

Walley takes back seat amid deeper receiving corps

Jaden Walley posted four consecutive games with 100 or more receiving yards to close out the 2020 regular season.

He hasn’t had a single one in 2021.

But redshirt senior receiver Austin Williams insists that’s no cause for concern. Rather, it’s a product of a deeper position group.

“As a group, we’re performing at a way higher level,” Williams said. “Walley’s having a great year. He’s doing well.”

Walley’s 95 yards against Kentucky are a season high. He led the Bulldogs in receiving against the Wildcats and against Alabama and Vanderbilt before being held to just one catch for 3 yards against Arkansas.

The D’Iberville product had 718 receiving yards in 10 games as a freshman (he didn’t play in the season opener against LSU) and has 436 through nine games as a sophomore.

Walley was listed as a co-starter with Williams in fall camp, and Leach said former walk-on Christian Ford has earned some of the targets that previously belonged to Walley. Washington State transfer Jamire Calvin is in the mix, too.

“Ford has done a really good job of taking some of those catches away from him,” Leach said. “I think as Ford emerges, Walley is in a dogfight for reps to see which one he gets, Ford gets or Jamire gets.”

Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.