Postgame Notes: Texas A&M at Mississippi State
October 01, 2022 | Football
GENERAL
- MSU won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff.
- MSU's game captain was WR Austin Williams.
- One Bulldog made his first MSU start: LG Steven Losoya III.
- Today's win is MSU's fourth in five tries against ranked Texas A&M teams since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012.
- The win gives head coach Mike Leach six ranked victories at MSU, which is fourth-most in program history.
- Leach now has 26 wins over AP Top 25 teams since 2001, which ranks eighth among active head coaches.
- Mississippi State is now 4-1 for the first time since 2000 and is off to its best start since going 5-0 in 2014.
- Today's attendance was 51,930.
OFFENSE
- Mississippi State has scored on 13 consecutive red-zone opportunities with a touchdown on each of its last 10.
- MSU is now 16-for-17 in the red zone this season (94.1 percent), with 15 touchdowns.
- Held the ball for 19:17 in the first half.
- Rushed for 144Â yards, which is State's second-highest total under head coach Mike Leach.
- No. 1: 151 yards, vs. Missouri (2020).
- Ran for 102 yards in the first half alone, which would have been State's sixth-highest total under Leach.
- QB Will Rogers connected with WR Rara Thomas for a 75-yard touchdown pass that tied State's longest completion under Leach (75 yards, at LSU, Sept. 26, 2020).
- The offensive line kept a clean pocket without allowing a sack for the first time this year.
DEFENSE
- MSU has a takeaway in 49 of its last 58 games.
- S Collin Duncan forced a fumble inside State's 10-yard line that was recovered by CB Decamerion Richardson.
- LB Nathaniel Watson recorded a strip sack that saw LB Tyrus Wheat recover the fumble.
- CB Emmanuel Forbes picked off the 10th and 11th passes of his career in the fourth quarter.
- State has forced multiple turnovers in 18 games since the start of 2019, going 14-4 when doing so.
- MSU has an interception in 35 of its last 54 games with 52 picks in that stretch.
- Seven active players have recorded 21 total interceptions in their careers.
- Recorded three sacks on Texas A&M's final drive of the first half, culminating in a strip sack on the penultimate play.
SPECIAL TEAMS
- State returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown for the first time since 2014.
- CB Emmanuel Forbes blocked the kick, and CB Decamerion Richardson returned it 50 yards.
- Last: Jay Hughes, 70 yards, vs. Southern Miss (2014).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
WR Caleb Ducking
- Hauled in his sixth touchdown of the season on a five-yard reception.
- Hauled in a season-long 27-yard reception, while picking up 18 yards after the catch on the play.
- Scored his first rushing touchdown of the season on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter.
- Caught his second touchdown of the season on a four-yard reception in the second quarter.
- Has now caught a pass in 28 consecutive games, which includes every game of his career.
- Boasts the second-longest streak in the SEC and is one of just two players in the league with catches in 20 or more consecutive games.
- Rushed for a season-high 54 yards on seven attempts.
- Recorded a career-high 23 rushing yards on two carries.
- Led MSU with a career-high six receptions.
- Also posted a career-high 50 yards.
- Threw for 329 yards with 31 completions and three touchdowns.
- It was his 17th career 300-yard game, which is the school record.
- Posted his 23rd career 200-yard passing game, which is second in MSU history.
- School record: 29, Dak Prescott (2012-15).
- Completed a career-long 75-yard strike to Rara Thomas for a touchdown.
- Holds the MSU career record with 915 completions, which ranks second in SEC history.
- SEC Record: 921, Aaron Murray, Georgia (2010-13).
- Has now thrown 66 career touchdown passes which is second in MSU history.
- No. 1: 70, Dak Prescott (2012-15)
- Became the third MSU player ever to reach 8,000 career yards of total offense (8,229).
- No. 2: 9,814, Nick Fitzgerald (2015-18).
- Responsible for 67 career touchdowns, which is third in school history.
- No. 2: 101, Nick Fitzgerald (2015-18).
- Hauled in a career-high 134 receiving yards on five receptions.
- Caught a career-long 75-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
- Pass is tied for the longest under head coach Mike Leach.
- Has now played in a school-record 55 career games.
- Split his first career sack.
- Also added the first pass breakup of his career.
- Recorded a sack for a loss of seven yards.
- Now has 2.0 sacks on the year
- Split a tackle for loss.
- Tied his season-high in tackles with four.
- Forced a fumble, the second of his career, inside the 10-yard line.
- Blocked a field goal attempt that was returned for a touchdown.
- First career block.
- Broke up a pass in the fourth quarter.
- Picked off two passes, returning one 33 yards for a touchdown.
- Leads the FBS since 2020 with 11 interceptions and is the SEC's active career leader.
- Broke the school record with his fourth career interception returned for a touchdown.
- Previous: 3, Three others.
- Is now tied as the FBS' active career leader in interceptions returned for touchdowns.
- Second career multiple interception game.Â
- Previous: vs. Missouri Dec. 19, 2020.
- Led the team with 10Â tackles, marking his fourth career double-digit tackle game.
- Recorded two quarterback hurries.
- Recorded his first tackle for loss of the season.
- Tied his season-high in tackles with six.
- Logged his first career sack for a loss of seven yards in the second quarter.
- Finished the day with 1.5 sacks and a career-high seven tackles
- Recovered the first fumble of his career in the second quarter.
- Returned a blocked field goal attempt 50 yards for his first career touchdown.
- Second on the team with nine tackles.
- Split his first tackle for loss of the season in the third quarter.
- Tied his career-high with three tackles.
- Had a strip sack on Texas A&M's final play of the first half for his first career forced fumble.
- Now has 3.0 sacks on the year and 8.0 for his career.
- Finished with six tackles.
- Recovered a fumble on Texas A&M's final play of the first half on State's 31-yard line.
- Has now recovered five fumbles in his career.
Players Mentioned
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