Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
A Closer Look At The Bulldogs’ Career Highs
December 10, 2020 | Football
STARKVILLE – It has been a career year for several Bulldogs. We're not just talking about the new single-game career highs or the first career receptions, touchdowns, tackles for loss, sacks or interceptions, though there have been plenty of those as well.
The 2020 campaign, shortened as it will be at just 10 games, has already fueled single-season career highs for multiple players. These are student-athletes who have already surpassed their best 13-game seasons in various statistics in just eight contests.
On the offensive side of the ball, head coach Mike Leach promised the Air Raid offense would give the receiving corps a boost. It has. State returned eight receivers who had a catch last year. All but one have set new career highs in both yardage and receptions.
Take Austin Williams for example. In his first two seasons combined the junior made 21 catches. This year he's made 33 for 256 yards, more than 100 yards more than any prior year. The junior boasts the fourth-highest hands grade in the FBS (90.3) according to Pro Football Focus and has a career-best 10 catches for first downs this year.
Osirus Mitchell has seen his receiving yards per game jump up 20.8 additional yards compared to 2019. With his career-high 38 catches in 2020, he is now just two away from 100 receptions in his career and 11 away from entering the MSU all-time top 10.
Cameron Gardner had one career catch entering the season for seven yards. He's made a dozen this season for 110 yards, including a career long of 24. Geor'quarius Spivey had just three total catches over the past two years. He made five in one game and has also recorded more than 100 yards this season.
Then look at the defense. MSU has used nine first-time starters on this unit, so a production increase from the newcomers might be expected. The impressive part is this. Of the 26 defensive players who have recorded a tackle this year, 18 have set new career highs in stops.
Aaron Brule has made 55 tackles this year to rank third on the team, after bringing down just 12 ball carriers in his career prior to 2020. He's also made an astounding 7.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks despite having just 1.5 tackles for loss to his name to open the season.
Along the defensive line, Marquiss Spencer (8.0) and Jaden Crumedy (3.0) also have set career highs in tackles for loss. Spencer is tied for seventh in the SEC and second among the league's defensive linemen.
Martin Emerson is tied for second in the conference with a career-best eight pass breakups. He's also second on the team with a career-high 56 tackles.
Surprisingly absent from the list are two veterans, but that is more a testament to their consistent production over the years. Kobe Jones is seven tackles shy of his career best, but he has actually already surpassed his highest number of assisted tackles with 17 this year.
While Erroll Thompson hasn't yet reached his career high of 87 tackles from his sophomore year, the senior leads MSU with 74 stops. He needs just nine tackles to become the first Bulldog with 300 career tackles since Mario Haggan (1999-02, 359).
Even more surprising there are still two games left on the schedule.
The 2020 campaign, shortened as it will be at just 10 games, has already fueled single-season career highs for multiple players. These are student-athletes who have already surpassed their best 13-game seasons in various statistics in just eight contests.
On the offensive side of the ball, head coach Mike Leach promised the Air Raid offense would give the receiving corps a boost. It has. State returned eight receivers who had a catch last year. All but one have set new career highs in both yardage and receptions.
Take Austin Williams for example. In his first two seasons combined the junior made 21 catches. This year he's made 33 for 256 yards, more than 100 yards more than any prior year. The junior boasts the fourth-highest hands grade in the FBS (90.3) according to Pro Football Focus and has a career-best 10 catches for first downs this year.
Osirus Mitchell has seen his receiving yards per game jump up 20.8 additional yards compared to 2019. With his career-high 38 catches in 2020, he is now just two away from 100 receptions in his career and 11 away from entering the MSU all-time top 10.
Cameron Gardner had one career catch entering the season for seven yards. He's made a dozen this season for 110 yards, including a career long of 24. Geor'quarius Spivey had just three total catches over the past two years. He made five in one game and has also recorded more than 100 yards this season.
Then look at the defense. MSU has used nine first-time starters on this unit, so a production increase from the newcomers might be expected. The impressive part is this. Of the 26 defensive players who have recorded a tackle this year, 18 have set new career highs in stops.
Aaron Brule has made 55 tackles this year to rank third on the team, after bringing down just 12 ball carriers in his career prior to 2020. He's also made an astounding 7.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks despite having just 1.5 tackles for loss to his name to open the season.
Along the defensive line, Marquiss Spencer (8.0) and Jaden Crumedy (3.0) also have set career highs in tackles for loss. Spencer is tied for seventh in the SEC and second among the league's defensive linemen.
Martin Emerson is tied for second in the conference with a career-best eight pass breakups. He's also second on the team with a career-high 56 tackles.
Surprisingly absent from the list are two veterans, but that is more a testament to their consistent production over the years. Kobe Jones is seven tackles shy of his career best, but he has actually already surpassed his highest number of assisted tackles with 17 this year.
While Erroll Thompson hasn't yet reached his career high of 87 tackles from his sophomore year, the senior leads MSU with 74 stops. He needs just nine tackles to become the first Bulldog with 300 career tackles since Mario Haggan (1999-02, 359).
Even more surprising there are still two games left on the schedule.
Players Mentioned
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