Mississippi State couldn’t have asked for a better start to its 2022 season.
The Bulldogs received the opening kickoff Saturday against Memphis and immediately got to work.
MSU put together a 10-play, 75-yard first drive to set the tone against the Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium.
The Bulldogs went on to win, 49-23.
“I thought it was important,” Mississippi State coach Mike Leach said of the Bulldogs’ first possession. “I think they drew some confidence from how well they can play together when everybody does their job. I thought that confidence continued throughout the game.”
Here’s a play-by-play breakdown of MSU’s perfect opening drive.
Play No. 1: First and 10 at the Mississippi State 25. The Bulldogs set wide receiver Rufus Harvey in motion across the formation, clearing space for Rara Thomas across the middle. Thomas makes the catch from Will Rogers at the 29-yard line and is tackled at the 32.
Play No. 2: Second and 3 at the MSU 32. With three receivers to the right, Jo’quavious Marks lines up to Rogers’ left in the shotgun. The Bulldogs’ O-line clears a perfect hole up the middle, and Marks shoots through it for a 6-yard gain and a first down.
Play No. 3: First and 10 at the MSU 38. The Bulldogs go back into their normal set with two receivers on each side of the line. Marks takes a shotgun handoff and finds a small hole between center LaQuinston Sharp and right guard Cole Smith for a 3-yard gain.
Play No. 4: Second and 7 at the MSU 41. MSU puts three receivers on the left this time, and Rogers tosses a quick screen pass to Thomas two yards behind the line of scrimmage. With plenty of room on the outside thanks to a good block by Austin Williams, Thomas picks up a first down and gets into Memphis territory before being tripped up at the Tigers’ 47. “I think we did some really good things on that first drive, kind of got the ball flowing a little bit,” Rogers said. “It’s huge any time you can do that.”
Play No. 5: First and 10 at the Memphis 47. The Bulldogs utilize split backs for the first time with Marks to Rogers’ left and Dillon Johnson to the right. Rogers takes a quick snap and hands it off to Marks, who has no hole to run through with the left side of MSU’s offensive line collapsing. Marks is tackled by two defenders at the line of scrimmage.
Play No. 6: Second and 10 at the Memphis 47. MSU goes with trips — three receivers — to the right again and Johnson in the backfield. Johnson grabs a checkdown pass at the Memphis 49, eludes one defender and is tripped up by another Tiger after crossing the first-down marker.
Play No. 7: First and 10 at the Memphis 35. Wide receiver Austin Williams plays on the outside this time, set back behind the line of scrimmage. Rogers hands the ball to Johnson, who has a hole to the right but instead runs directly into the back of Sharp and falls for a 1-yard gain. It’s a missed opportunity for Mississippi State.
Play No. 8: Second and 9 at the Memphis 34. On the outside again, Williams motions inside Thomas and sprints straight down the field at the snap. With no one open downfield, Rogers tosses the ball to Johnson back at the 39. The running back evades a poor diving tackle attempt by Memphis’ Andrew Jones in the backfield and is tackled by defensive back Cameron Smith at the 26.
Play No. 9: Third and 1 at the Memphis 26. Johnson’s second-down catch makes the Bulldogs’ first third down of the game eminently manageable. The Memphis defense seems out of sorts as Rogers takes the snap with trips to the left side and hands it off to Johnson. Left guard Nick Jones records a great block as he runs across the field to seal off a hole for Johnson, who is brought down at the 23 for a first down.
Play No. 10: First and 10 at the Memphis 23. Thomas is the only receiver on the left side, but Rogers is looking his way from the start. Thomas catches a slant at the 18-yard line, shakes off cornerback Greg Rubin and outstrips defensive back Ladarian Paulk to the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown. “Every time you have the ball you want to score, especially the first drive to start the season right, start the game right,” Rogers said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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