Of Kylin Hill's 158 receiving yards, 155 came after the catch, which ranks second in the FBS.
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Breaking Down The Bulldogs’ YAC Attack
September 29, 2020 | Football
The secret to State’s receiving production? Yards after catch
STARKVILLE – With preseason camp in full swing, Mississippi State's outside receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. had a simple message for the Bulldogs: "Get Open. Catch the ball. Make plays."
His players clearly heard the message.
For just the second time in school history, three receivers went over 100 yards in the same game in State's win at LSU in Week 1. Nine of the ten receivers with a catch set a career high in yardage.
As records fell left and right on Saturday in Baton Rouge, one number slipped by seemingly unnoticed. Yes, Kylin Hill set a school record for receiving yards by a running back in a single game, but perhaps more impressive was how he gained those yards.
Of his 158 yards through the air, 155 came after the catch, which ranks second in the FBS behind only Tim Jones at Southern Miss, who has the added benefit of having played two additional games.
"Kylin had a heck of a game," Mike Leach said. "He had 193 [all-purpose] yards. With a team like LSU, I think that's a pretty good performance."
The Bulldogs' All-SEC running back isn't alone. Wide receiver Osirus Mitchell ranks third in the SEC in yards after catch, behind Hill and Ole Miss' Elijah Moore. Mitchell led the way for State with 183 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday. He ran for 96 of those yards after securing the ball.
MSU's receiving corps racked up more yards after the catch than any other SEC team in their opener. The Bulldogs are averaging an extra 10.4 yards after they catch the ball. That's part of the reason State was able to pass for 22 first downs. Another reason: the Dawgs are tough to tackle.
Hill avoided five tackles on Saturday. A year ago, he made defenders miss 65 times. As a team, State avoided 11 tackles, seven of those on passing plays. Only Florida (12), made the defender miss more in the passing game.
That ability is what made senior linebacker Erroll Thompson compare Hill to NFL backs during preseason camp.
"He is an Alvin Kamara-type [running back]," Thompson said. "You can get him the ball in space, throw it to him, but he can also run it. He is a problem. I feel like he is going to be a great asset for us this year."
It's an appropriate comparison. The New Orleans Saints running back ranks second in the NFL in receptions and fifth in receiving yardage. Like Hill, most of that production comes after he's caught the pass. Passes caught by Kamara have traveled an average of just 0.04 yards, but he explodes out of the backfield to average 10.52 yards after catch. For Hill, that number is an even gaudier 19.38 yards after catch.
The results of the Air Raid are clear. In addition to taking down the defending national champions, five Bulldogs are among the top 15 in the SEC in yards per catch. Four of those five are inside the top 50 nationally.
"They know who we are and what we do. It's very clear and it's very competitive in practice," Spurrier said. "Guys who can catch the ball, they're going to play. And they're going to catch 50, 60, 70 balls."
In this offense, expect the yards to keep coming.
His players clearly heard the message.
For just the second time in school history, three receivers went over 100 yards in the same game in State's win at LSU in Week 1. Nine of the ten receivers with a catch set a career high in yardage.
As records fell left and right on Saturday in Baton Rouge, one number slipped by seemingly unnoticed. Yes, Kylin Hill set a school record for receiving yards by a running back in a single game, but perhaps more impressive was how he gained those yards.
Of his 158 yards through the air, 155 came after the catch, which ranks second in the FBS behind only Tim Jones at Southern Miss, who has the added benefit of having played two additional games.
"Kylin had a heck of a game," Mike Leach said. "He had 193 [all-purpose] yards. With a team like LSU, I think that's a pretty good performance."
The Bulldogs' All-SEC running back isn't alone. Wide receiver Osirus Mitchell ranks third in the SEC in yards after catch, behind Hill and Ole Miss' Elijah Moore. Mitchell led the way for State with 183 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday. He ran for 96 of those yards after securing the ball.
MSU's receiving corps racked up more yards after the catch than any other SEC team in their opener. The Bulldogs are averaging an extra 10.4 yards after they catch the ball. That's part of the reason State was able to pass for 22 first downs. Another reason: the Dawgs are tough to tackle.
Hill avoided five tackles on Saturday. A year ago, he made defenders miss 65 times. As a team, State avoided 11 tackles, seven of those on passing plays. Only Florida (12), made the defender miss more in the passing game.
That ability is what made senior linebacker Erroll Thompson compare Hill to NFL backs during preseason camp.
"He is an Alvin Kamara-type [running back]," Thompson said. "You can get him the ball in space, throw it to him, but he can also run it. He is a problem. I feel like he is going to be a great asset for us this year."
It's an appropriate comparison. The New Orleans Saints running back ranks second in the NFL in receptions and fifth in receiving yardage. Like Hill, most of that production comes after he's caught the pass. Passes caught by Kamara have traveled an average of just 0.04 yards, but he explodes out of the backfield to average 10.52 yards after catch. For Hill, that number is an even gaudier 19.38 yards after catch.
The results of the Air Raid are clear. In addition to taking down the defending national champions, five Bulldogs are among the top 15 in the SEC in yards per catch. Four of those five are inside the top 50 nationally.
"They know who we are and what we do. It's very clear and it's very competitive in practice," Spurrier said. "Guys who can catch the ball, they're going to play. And they're going to catch 50, 60, 70 balls."
In this offense, expect the yards to keep coming.
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