Looking For An Exclamation Point And A Springboard
December 27, 2021 | Football, Joel Coleman
Liberty Bowl gives Bulldogs the chance to gain even more momentum.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Mike Leach sat quietly in a hotel room on Monday afternoon with a table full of footballs in front of him. Before heading out to Mississippi State's final practice ahead of Tuesday's AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Leach picked up a marker in his left hand and put his signature on each ball.
It was a literal representation of what has figuratively happened to the Bulldog football program the last two years. In the span of about 24 months, Leach has put his signature on Mississippi State. The 2021 season exemplified it. Now, against Texas Tech, Leach has a chance to place an exclamation point on it and springboard his Bulldogs into 2022.
There's no question about it, Mississippi State wants this game. It'd be a fitting conclusion to a year that has proven the Bulldogs under Leach are quickly on the rise.
"I think you're coaching and teaching to be committed and the best you can be in all that you can do," Leach said as he left his autograph session and made his way to practice. "I think [winning the bowl game] does help you take a positive step forward as far as the offseason and preparing for the next year."
Like a snowball getting larger as it rolls, Mississippi State has picked up momentum almost by the day as this year has gone on.
Will Rogers has transformed from a wide-eyed true freshman kid in 2020 to one of the country's top quarterbacks. He's made 300-yard passing games routine. It's just what happens now. Cowbells clang. Folks wear Maroon and White. Rogers completes most every pass and racks up the yardage.
But Rogers didn't become who he is all by himself. This has been the year Mississippi State has seemingly grasped and started to refine Leach's Air Raid all over the field.
From the offensive line jelling, to the running backs and receivers knowing where they're supposed to be and when they're supposed to be there, it's all come together to help the Bulldogs take off.
And don't forget about Zach Arnett's defense. Mixing Arnett's aggressive style with Leach's offensive scheme, the Bulldogs were one of only four schools in all of FBS football to finish the regular season ranked inside the Top 25 in both total offense and total defense.
Then there were the wins. Only four schools in the country recorded three victories against teams inside the final College Football Playoff Top 25. Mississippi State was one of them. Don't forget about the Bulldogs earning the largest comeback win in program history when they erased a 20-point deficit in the season opener, only to top it two months later when they rallied from 25 points down to top Auburn on the road.
That's grit. That's heart. That's toughness. That's...Well, it's Mike Leach.
Leach has State's momentum growing off the field, too. There's a Top 25 signing class that just inked earlier this month, with more additions to come. The new Bulldogs will soon join the current group, a bunch that'll largely remain intact next year. To paraphrase Leach from back in November, no one should get tired of these guys because almost all of them are returning.
It gives them more time to learn under Leach and more time to develop under Leach. In two years, Leach has proven the Air Raid works in the Southeastern Conference. He's shown, under his leadership, the Bulldogs can punch with anyone. The exciting thing is Leach and his team are still aiming even higher.
Perhaps the game against Texas Tech can serve as a preview of sorts for Leach and the Bulldogs' next chapter. The circumstances of Tuesday's affair aren't completely unlike MSU's last trip to the Liberty Bowl.
Back in 2013, State whipped Rice and it served as an appetizer for MSU's historic 2014 when State rose to No. 1 in the country. It's not that a win Tuesday would foreshadow a return to the top of the national polls for the Bulldogs next season, but there are certainly similarities.
The characters have changed. It's Rogers in place of Dak Prescott. It's Jo'quavious Marks and Dillon Johnson instead of Josh Robinson. It's Makai Polk, Austin Williams and others in the roles of De'Runnya Wilson and Jameon Lewis. Yet the feel is reminiscent with a largely-returning team eyeing the next step in its progression.
No matter what happens inside Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, it's almost indisputable Mississippi State is a team ascending. And they're not likely to settle for just having one year of positive vibes. Their leader won't let that happen.
Complacency isn't in Leach's DNA, which means it's not in Mississippi State's.
"We're excited about things," Leach said. "But the biggest thing is, you've got to keep moving forward. Otherwise, in the end you're losing ground. So we've just got to keep going forward."
