LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers patiently paced the sidelines at Kroger Field in anticipation of his moment.
On a night that former Stanford signal-caller K.J. Costello was rocked into a return from the highs of a season-opening win over then-No. 6 LSU and promptly slammed into the turf at Kroger Field, Rogers high-fived teammates, received pats on the back and promptly stepped onto the field in Lexington with an astute command of a floundering MSU offense.
“I wanted to see if something could give us a spark,” head coach Mike Leach said of why he transitioned from Costello to Rogers. “Because I didn’t think we were seeing the field very well.”
The debut was short, mildly productive and, at least in spurts, offered glimmers of the rhythm, timing and efficiency that the Bulldogs lacked for virtually the entire night.
Entering MSU’s 24-2 loss to Kentucky with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Rogers completed his first four throws before misfiring on third down.
Following another stop by an MSU defense that limited Kentucky to just 157 yards Saturday, he looked poised under center in his return to the playing surface on the next possession. Rogers completed four of his next five throws, including a fired ball in the center of the field for a fourth down conversion as the third-quarter clock ticked to zero. For the first time all night, the MSU offense had life.
But there were missteps, plays that reminded onlookers that he is still a freshman, albeit one who arrived on campus in December for 2019 bowl practices.
With senior receiver Osirus Mitchell having outpaced Wildcats linebacker/defensive end Jordan Wright, Rogers lofted a pass toward the front right pylon, only to have it wrestled out of Mitchell’s hands and intercepted by Wright just inside the goal line.
A second interception in garbage time followed, too, but those on the sidelines were encouraged by the effort.
“He had a few hiccups here and there, but we all did,” junior receiver Austin Williams said postgame. “I think he fought back. He’s a great kid, a great player and a great teammate. I look forward to seeing him continue to grow.”
Rogers’ praises have been sung for months. He spent the bulk of training camp outperforming incumbent signal-callers Jalen Mayden and Garrett Shrader for the backup job, even prompting Shrader to move to receiver.
In his lone media availability of the year, he was youthful but exuberant in how he described the offense, his camaraderie with Costello and how he’s adjusted to college life.
“When I see those things, I kind of keep scrolling past them,” he said in September, referencing the positive reviews he received in the offseason. “I try to stay level headed. I never try to be complacent in any form of my game or anything like that. I’m always just chasing that next step and trying to be even better than I was the day before.”
Saturday, Rogers was thrust into a situation that felt unthinkable two weeks ago in Baton Rouge. Having missed the past two games for undisclosed reasons, he wasn’t quite 100 percent according to Leach, but Costello offered his head coach no other choice.
Asked postgame whether he’d remain with Costello as the starter going forward, Leach wouldn’t budge in the moment. Rather, he deferred to the film, noting he’d need to break down the night’s events and diagnose from there.
“Whoever’s the best one that you think can help you play, that’s the guy you go to,” Leach said. “I was hoping Will could give us a spark.”
In three weeks of play, the MSU offense captained by Costello has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Saturday, the Bulldogs’ previously prominent ship was overtaken by the tide in an outing Leach described as out of sync in all facets offensively.
Fourteen days ago, Costello looked the part of a dark-horse Heisman candidate, a player who could capture the nation in the way Gardner Minshew II did under Leach during the 2018 season at Washington State. But if Saturday proved anything, it’s that the Californian’s seat is, at the least, hotter than a midsummer Mississippi afternoon, if it hasn’t already been burned to a crisp by a talented freshman with the tools to succeed.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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