Getting Back Up
November 07, 2021 | Football, Joel Coleman
Mississippi State has another chance to show it won’t flinch in the face of adversity.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Call it a gut punch. Call it disappointing. Label Mississippi State's 31-28 loss at Arkansas on Saturday however you want, but just remember this.
If nothing else, the 2021 Bulldogs have proven time and time to be a resilient, relentless bunch. Don't expect a sour ending in the home of the Hogs to change any of that.
"We have to regroup," linebacker Aaron Brule said following Saturday's game. "We have to keep our foot on the gas and move on to the next team."
Moving on. It's something that's seemingly ingrained in this year's team's DNA.
Down 20 points in the fourth quarter in the season opener to Louisiana Tech? The largest comeback in school history fixed that problem.
How about the response to back-to-back losses against Memphis and LSU? The Bulldogs bit back with an impressive 26-22 win over currently-No. 11 Texas A&M. State silenced the nearly 90,000 Aggie fans at Kyle Field and let the country know adversity only seems to make the Dawgs dig deeper.
Yes, there was a rough day at home against Alabama, but again, MSU punched back with a dominating 39-point win at Vanderbilt and a convincing victory over then-No. 12 Kentucky.
Seemingly every speed bump State has hit was immediately followed by a resounding response.
Even headed towards this past Saturday's ultimate result, the Bulldogs gave continual reminders they are well-equipped to weather the strongest of storms. MSU erased 13-0 and 23-14 deficits to take leads over Arkansas.
Will Rogers continued his career progression, overcoming his own slow start in the process. He had four straight incompletions to begin his afternoon, then roared back to connect on 36 of his final 44 throws for 417 yards and four touchdowns.
There was Jo'quavious Marks coming through in multiple third or fourth-down situations to prolong MSU drives, helping put State on the brink of another come-from-behind win. True freshman Rara Thomas had a coming out party with 63 receiving yards and a pair of clutch scores.
Even after Arkansas scored with 22 seconds remaining to take the lead for good, MSU still kept scratching and clawing. The Bulldogs gained 53 yards in 20 seconds, putting themselves in position for a game-tying field goal.
The try wasn't successful of course. Adversity reared its ugly head once again.
"It just [stinks]," Rogers said. "You're a play away from winning the game, but you have to make the play."
By any measure, it was a painful loss. The trip back home to Starkville was subdued, surely with the defeat continuing to gnaw away on the inside of each Bulldog.
But they've been here before. This team has been forged through the fires of the first nine games. It's time to dig deep and prove yet again the Bulldogs might get knocked down, but there's just no keeping them there.
It's a new week. Auburn awaits. The wounds are licked. It's back to work. No exceptions.
"Anyone who feels sorry for themselves should find somewhere else to go, because that doesn't help move the needle at all," Leach said. "We need folks who want to get better."
