Play The Next Play
September 11, 2022 | Football, Joel Coleman
Win in the desert shows how Bulldogs can shake things off.
TUCSON, Ariz. – Talk about an unfortunate bounce.
It was early in the second quarter on Saturday night when Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers' pass hit off the hands of wide receiver Caleb Ducking and went straight into the waiting arms of an Arizona defender. The Wildcats soon turned the interception into points when they hit a field goal to cut MSU's lead down to 15-10.
And what was Rogers' reaction to it all? What message did he pass along to Ducking?
"Who cares?" Rogers said he tells Ducking or any receiver that might make a mistake. "I'm about to throw the ball right to you again and you've got to go make a play."
By now, you likely know the rest of the story. When Saturday's game was complete, Ducking had led the Bulldogs with seven receptions to help fuel a 39-17 State win. He racked up 56 yards and scored two touchdowns, including a highlight-reel grab in the game's closing minutes to ensure things were wrapped in Maroon and White.
Ducking made sure one hiccup didn't define his evening. It was the perfect example of the type of resiliency that seems to permeate this year's Bulldog team.
Play the next play. Spend only a few minutes around the MSU team on the sideline or at practice and you'll almost assuredly hear those words uttered at some point.
But it's not just some phrase that'd make for a good T-shirt. It's a foundational component of head coach Mike Leach's group. No matter what just happened – good or bad – play the next play. The next play is always the most important one. Give it all you've got.
Time and time again Saturday in Tuscon, the Bulldogs did just that. They weren't perfect in their win over Arizona. However, they were perfectly resilient all over the field – a sign their motto is ingrained firmly in them and evidence a little bit of adversity isn't going to get these Dawgs down.
There was the defense that surrendered a 75-yard touchdown drive to Arizona on the game's opening series. State responded in a big way by allowing just 241 total yards the rest of the contest.
MSU missed its first couple of extra point attempts. Ben Raybon then picked up his special teams mates with a pair of field goals and several booming kickoffs while not missing a PAT try.
"I thought [Raybon] was pretty dominant," Leach said. "Besides kicking it out of the end zone the whole time on kickoffs…he drilled field goals and extra points. He kind of did it all."
Leach said he saw his offensive line hit a speed bump or two. However, the group quickly put the pedal back to the metal on those occasions.
"We had one three-and-out where they didn't have a good play in any of the three plays," Leach said of his offensive front. "We had a few little spots like that, which were regrettable, but they rallied and we did play really hard. I think really one of the biggest differences in this game was our offensive line."
Put simply, the Dawgs in the trenches played the next play.
And when you play the next play, great things can happen. When you focus simply on the task in front of you, it allows you to be at your best – not weighed down by any past burden or overconfident because of some recent success.
It allows you to do things like hit one of your best friends and roommates for a crucial touchdown pass on a fourth-and-3 situation when the game could've gone either way. That's what Rogers did when he found Williams early in the fourth quarter. The play gave the Bulldogs a late two-score lead.
"It was huge," Rogers said. "It was a good play and a pretty big momentum shift right there."
Later in the quarter, it was Ducking's time to shine. Those same hands of his that'd seen the football bounce off them earlier reached up and snagged a Rogers pass out of the air. Ducking, standing in the end zone, twirled away from an Arizona defensive back. He held the ball tightly away from the defender with just one hand but maintained full control for the score.
The touchdown set off what's become arguably the most original celebration in all of college football – Ducking's duck dance.
And as Ducking and his teammates waddled near the end zone, one thing is almost certain. Ducking wasn't thinking about any of his earlier plays. By the time the waddling stopped, he probably wasn't thinking much about the play he'd just made either.
Odds are, he was just ready to play his next play.
That kind of mentality has Mississippi State at 2-0 to start the year with a pair of three-score-or-more victories. The thought process also prohibits the Bulldogs from resting on those laurels. There's always improvements to be made so the next play can be better than the one before it.
"We have so much to work on," Rogers said, before adding: 'We're about to find out what we're made of this week."
Rogers was alluding to a showdown in Baton Rouge next weekend against LSU. It'll be Saturday night in Death Valley. It'll be tough. Road tests in the Southeastern Conference always are.
However, the Bulldogs already know the best recipe to try and achieve success. Just play the next play. Get better the next play. Do your job the next play.
Do that and there's never any tough moment that is too tough or high that is too high. Play the next play and anything can happen.
