TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Mike Leach is no stranger to record-breaking.
During a two-year spell as the offensive coordinator at Kentucky between 1997 and 1998, the Wildcats broke six NCAA records, 41 Southeastern Conference records and 116 school records.
In his first game at MSU, even, Bulldogs quarterback K.J. Costello passed for an SEC high of 623 passing yards against then-No. 6 LSU and became the first player to ever eclipse the 500-yard mark passing at Tiger Stadium.
But in a run of losses to Arkansas, Kentucky, No. 8 Texas A&M and, now, No. 2 Alabama on Saturday, the Bulldog offense has suddenly fallen off a Grand Canyon-sized cliff.
“I mean, this would not be the standard,” Leach said postgame. “But, as far as battling, that sort of thing, I was pleased with that portion of it. But you know, we certainly have miles to go.”
Facing an Alabama defense that ranked No. 65 in the nation entering Saturday, the Bulldogs weren’t expected to be world beaters, but the Crimson Tide boasted enough holes to be prodded.
Instead, MSU provided an offensive display that dwarfed anemic outings of weeks past.
In a first half in which the Bulldogs accounted for just a single first down, they mustered just 20 yards through the air on 7-of-16 passing between quarterbacks K.J. Costello and Will Rogers en route to a season-low 163 yards on 48 attempts as they fell 41-0 in Tuscaloosa.
Following suit in its recent ineptitude on third down, MSU concluded the contest an abysmal 2 of 15 and is now 18 of 64, or 28.1 percent, on third down since the Week 1 win over LSU.
Most of all, Saturday further cemented the Bulldogs’ continuing inability to score. After notching 44 points in the season-opening win over LSU, MSU has since totaled just 30 points over three games.
The Bulldogs have also twice set career lows for Leach in total points in a game, culminating with Saturday night’s shutout in Tuscaloosa — the first time in his 19-year coaching career his squad didn’t land a single point.
“We obviously know we have more potential, we can do more,” junior receiver Austin Williams, who caught three passes for 32 yards Saturday, said. “We all believe in ourselves and each other, our brothers next to each other.”
For weeks usual coaching cliches have run rampant from the usually unique Leach. The offense is close. The execution wasn’t quite there. There were windows of opportunities that weren’t capitalized on. But following a game and stretch in which the passing production — the avenue in which Leach’s offense’s live and die by — has steadily declined in every game this season, worry persists whether it will ever find a level of productivity in 2020.
Speaking with the media postgame Saturday, Leach again leaned on a subtle optimism the system will produce, though when and to what degree remains to be seen.
With an offensive line that boasts the 95th-best pass-blocking grade nationally from Pro Football Focus, the former Washington State head coach noted his quarterbacks haven’t had ample time to throw but also could be quicker in their decision-making.
Leach also maligned his receiving corps which, by his count, leads the country in touchdowns ripped away in the end zone, resulting in interceptions — a belief bolstered when Rogers forced a third quarter pass to Osirus Mitchell in the Alabama end zone that was snatched away by linebacker Dylan Moses and later turned into a DeVonta Smith touchdown reception.
“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” Leach said of MSU’s inability to hold onto passes around the goal line. “Some is bad decisions to throw it; a number of them are not taking care of the football at the receiver position — whether it’s tipping it up or getting it torn away — and then others, obviously, bad play calls on my part.”
“Over the years, I’ve had the chance to set a lot of records,” he continued. “And I fear to tell you, we might set this one. But it’s unbelievable.”
For Leach, 2020 figured to be a rebuilding project of sorts given the lack of spring practices amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the complete overhaul of a Joe Moorhead offense predicated on RPOs to a system that perennially leads the nation in passing.
But if Saturday’s loss in Tuscaloosa proves anything, it’s that the Mississippi State offense feels as far away from clicking as it did four weeks ago.
“Obviously, there’s frustration,” Williams said. “But we’re positive, we’re optimistic. We’re gonna try to move on to the next play, the next game, and better things are going to come in the future.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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