Postgame Notes: Kentucky at Mississippi State
October 30, 2021 | Football
GENERAL
- Mississippi State won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Kentucky received the opening kickoff.
- MSU's game captain was WRÂ Austin Williams.
- The Bulldogs recorded their fourth win over an AP-ranked opponent under Mike Leach and first at home.
- Leach's four ranked wins are the most by any Bulldog head coach in his first 19 games.
OFFENSE
- Completed passes to 12 different receivers, marking the fourth game this year with at least 10 different receivers catching a pass.
- 14 different receivers have now caught a pass this season.
- Today marked the 11th time State has passed for 300 or more yards under Mike Leach.
- Scored multiple rushing touchdowns in a game for the fifth time under Leach and the second time this season.
- State has thrown 20 passing touchdowns this season, which ranks sixth in MSU single-season history.
- No. 5: 22 in 2018.
- The Bulldog offense is now 31-for-34 (91.2 percent, 23 TD, 8 FG) in the red zone this season.
- 5-for-5 today (4 TD, 1 FG).
- MSU has completed 333 passes this season, which ranks second in MSU single-season history.
- School record: 373 in 2020.
- Rushed 35 times, which is the Bulldogs' highest total under Leach and is tied for the fourth-most by any Leach-coached team.
- MSU possessed the ball for a season-high 41:10, which is also MSU's high under Mike Leach.
- Highest since 41:53Â against Arkansas, Nov. 17, 2018.
DEFENSE
- State now has a takeaway in 41 of its last 48 games with 80 takeaways in that span.
- The Bulldogs have recorded three or more takeaways 11 times in the 48-game span.
- State has recorded multiple takeaways in 16 games since the start of 2019, going 12-4 when doing so.Â
- The Bulldogs have an interception in 31 of their last 44 games, dating back to Sept. 1, 2018.
- MSU has 11Â multi-interception games since the start of 2018 and has gone 10-1 when doing so in that span.
- State intercepted three passes for the first time since Dec. 19, 2020 against Missouri.
- S Shawn Preston Jr. made his first career interception on Kentucky's opening drive.
- S Jalen Green intercepted a pass on the 1-yard line with nine seconds to play in the first half.
- DT Cameron Young recorded his first career interception.
- Held its fifth opponent of the year to fewer than 100 rushing yards.
- Has held nine opponents below the century mark in 19 games under defensive coordinator Zach Arnett.
- Surpassed the 2020 season total for sub-100-yard rushing games (4).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
RB Dillon Johnson
- Rushed a career-high 11 times for 41 yards.
- Turned in his second career multi-touchdown game (at Georgia, Nov. 21, 2020).
- Scored his second and third rushing touchdowns of the season.
- Rushed a career-high 18 times, collecting 53 yards.
- Picked up his team-leading fourth rushing touchdown of the year.
- Accounted for 54 yards (29 rec., 25 rush) on the drive on six plays (9.0 yards per play).
- Has caught 118 passes in his career, which is tied for eighth in MSU history with Mardye McDole (1977-80).
- No. 7: 119, Terrell Grindle (1999-02).
- Marks holds the MSU career record for receptions by a running back.
- Has a reception in all 18 games of his career.
- Broke the school record for single-season completions with 327Â this year.
- Previous: 316, Dak Prescott (2015).
- Has 566Â career completions, which is second in MSU history.Â
- School record: 734, Dak Prescott (2012-15).
- Completed an SEC record 92.3Â percent (36-of-39) of his attempts (min. 30 comp.).
- Previous: 91.2 percent (31-of-34) by Josh Dobbs (Tennessee) vs. Vanderbilt (2016)
- Previous MSU Record (min. 35 att.): 83.0 percent (39-of-47) by Will Rogers, Louisiana Tech (Sept. 4, 2021).
- Came one completion shy of the NCAA single-game completion percentage record for a minimum of 40 attempts.
- NCAA Record: 90.9 percent by Seth Doege (40-of-44), Texas Tech, Sept. 17, 2011 vs. New Mexico.
- Averaged 8.8 yards per attempt.
- Broke his own school record for consecutive completions in one game with two runs of 15 straight.
- Previous: 14 by Will Rogers, at Vanderbilt (Oct. 23, 2021).
- Now has seven 300-yard passing games this season, which ties the MSU single-season record set by Dak Prescott in 2015.
- Boasts nine career 300-yard passing games, which is tied with Dak Prescott (2012-15) for the Bulldogs' career record.
- Posted his eighth 200-yard passing game this season, which is tied for third in MSU single-season history with Tyler Russell (2012).
- School record: 12, Dak Prescott (2015, 2014).
- Now has 13 career 200-yard passing games, which is second in MSU history.
- School record: 29, Dak Prescott (2012-15).
- Has now passed for 2,890 passing yards this season, which ranks fourth in MSU single-season history.
- No. 3: 2,897, Tyler Russell (2012).
- Boasts 4,866 career passing yards, which is eighth in MSU history
- No. 7: 5,229, Don Smith (1983-86).
- Has thrown 19 passing touchdowns in 2021, which is fifth in MSU season history.
- No. 4: 21, Nick Fitzgerald, 2016.
- Sophomore record: 21, Nick Fitzgerald, 2016.
- Has 30 touchdown passes in his career, which is eighth in MSU history.
- No. 7 is 31, Don Smith, 1983-86.Â
- Caught his second career touchdown and second in as many weeks on a 25-yard reception.Â
- Hauled in a season-long 29-yard reception in the first quarter.
- Matched his career high with two pass breakups.
- Now has seven total pass defenses this season, which is tied for fourth in the SEC.
- Second breakup of the night led to an interception.Â
- Picked off his second pass of the year and third of his career.
- Recovered a fumble which led to a touchdown three plays later.
- Led the team in tackles for the third time this season with nine.
- Registered 1.0 tackles for loss.
- Now has 8.5 tackles for loss this season.
- Made his first career interception at his own 6-yard line.
- Registered his second pass breakup of the season, which led to an interception.Â
- Made his first career interception.Â
- Has a 50-yard punt in each of the last three games he's punted in.
- Boasts an active streak of 132 consecutive extra points made in his career.
- Made four tonight.
- Added a 27-yard field goal.
Players Mentioned
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