Inside Saturday’s Scrimmage At Davis Wade
August 13, 2022 | Football, Joel Coleman
The work continues with three weeks until kickoff.
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach stood along the Davis Wade Stadium sideline near the 50-yard line on Saturday afternoon. His team had just completed a Saturday scrimmage. State players gathered to hear Leach's post-practice message.
With beads of sweat coming down the Bulldogs' faces, all eyes were on their leader who wrapped up his succinct remarks with a simple statement that carries so much weight as MSU continues trekking towards its September 3 season opener.
"Every rep in practice or these scrimmages determines the player you'll be and the team you're going to be," Leach told his guys.
Put another way, every single thing counts. Even 21 days before a new campaign kicks off, every second of the work put in under the hot, August sun matters. And though Saturday was far from perfect, it was another day in which the Bulldogs got better.
For some, it was a time to hone their skills. Take for instance quarterback Will Rogers. The veteran signal caller had a pair of touchdown passes in the scrimmage. Likewise, a few other experienced Bulldogs used the day to work out some kinks and get closer to peak form.
Running backs Jo'quavious Marks and Dillon Johnson both had touchdowns – Marks on the ground and Johnson through the air. Receiver Jaden Walley caught a touchdown pass.
On the defensive side, last season's leading tackler – linebacker Jett Johnson – was among the tops in that department Saturday. He tallied five in his time on the field.
Others used the day as a proving ground. Of course, under Leach and staff, even the guys with plenty of playing time in their past must keep their foot on the gas pedal, but days like Saturday create a perfect chance for those with less experience to show their coaches they can be counted on.
It was the perfect setting to judge it all, too. As strange as it may sound – even with the venue empty – it's just different playing inside of Davis Wade Stadium.
"It does help illustrate who you can trust," Leach said. "Occasionally, there'll be guys that get stage fright, then other guys are really ready to play. So, you try to see a little of that."
It's not just coach speak. These preseason scrimmage sessions inside the stadium are a bit of a different animal than a run-of-the-mill workout on the practice fields at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex. Every practice is vital, sure. But take it from a couple of former Bulldogs who were in attendance at Saturday's scrimmage and who've lived all this before, scrimmages in the stadium just aren't exactly the same as all the rest.
Said former State quarterback Matt Wyatt, whose MSU playing career spanned from 1996 through 1999: "You get in the stadium, coaches aren't on the field with you for the most part. You're calling plays at the line of scrimmage, so that can be different. The other thing is the defense can get in here and get jacked up. The lights aren't on because it's during the day, but they might as well be! Sometimes the defense comes in here and starts flying around. They've got a little more juice. So, when you're young, things can go a little faster in a scrimmage than they do a normal practice when you're just out there on field three and it's your third hour on the practice field and everybody's tongue is dragging. It's just a little more juice inside the stadium."
Adds Wyatt's old teammate and former Bulldog fullback from 1998 and 1999, Rod Gibson: "I think for the older guys, being in the stadium is more just fine-tuning their games and getting back into the swing of things. Being older, you've played a lot of reps, so coaches already have an idea of who you are and what to think of you. But for young guys, it gives them the opportunity to show the head coach or the position coaches what you can do – knowing your assignments and the things it takes to get on the field. You know, if you keep messing up out here, they won't put you on the field on Saturdays. Each practice and each scrimmage, you want to get better each day preparing yourself for the first game, but these scrimmages are really important because you don't have someone out there correcting you every single play or telling you what you did wrong or what you did right. You're just in the moment and have to figure it out. You're trying to build confidence with the coaches so they can trust you to go out there on Saturday in front of 60,000 or 70,000 people and get the job done. In a weird way, you practice at the football facility and then you come inside the stadium, it's just different. Regardless of if fans are here or not, it's just different."
This is a program that takes every rep seriously no matter where it occurs, but it certainly seemed that there was a bit of an elevated intensity and urgency in the air throughout Saturday's session from both athletes and coaches.
"Are you going to finish strong or not? It's your choice," One coach challenged a player.
Said one veteran Bulldog to a group of youngsters from his position group after watching them on the field: "You've all got to talk to each other. You're not talking, and you've got to talk."
Scenes like these were common throughout the day. There was no question Saturday these Bulldogs are bought in from the top down.
Now all this commitment to improvement is bound to work up an appetite. Lucky for the Bulldogs, Saturday's scrimmage covered that, too.
The Mississippi Cattlemen's Association hosted their annual Beefing Up the Bulldogs event after practice. On the menu? A straight-from-the-grill steak for everyone.
Such a meal after a practice like this one was fitting, for it perhaps illustrated a greater point. Good things come to those who work.
Or to once again paraphrase Leach's post-practice wisdom, results will be determined by the effort put into achieving them. That's good news because from this group, Saturday displayed there is effort aplenty.
