Mississippi State
Memphis
Bulldogs Roll To 49-23 Win Over Memphis In Opener
September 04, 2022 | Football
STARKVILLE – A dominant first half set the tone as Mississippi State rode its early success to an eventual 49-23 win over Memphis in the season opener at Davis Wade Stadium. The Bulldogs outscored the Tigers 28-3 over the first two quarters on the way to victory.
About the only thing that could slow down MSU early on was the weather. Lightning in the area delayed the contest for more than two hours. However, State shined both before and after the interruption.
MSU scored touchdowns on four of its first five first-half drives. Quarterback Will Rogers threw a pair of touchdown passes in the game's opening stanza – one a 23-yarder to Rara Thomas and the other a nine-yard strike to Jaden Walley. Jo'quavious Marks added a couple of second-quarter rushing touchdowns to account for State's scoring before the intermission.
The Bulldog defense was also impressive over the first two quarters. State limited Memphis to only 29 first-half yards and just 1.8 yards per play.
The Tigers did find the end zone three times in the second half. However, MSU denied a Tiger comeback with three more touchdowns of its own. Rogers hit Caleb Ducking, Rufus Harvey and Justin Robinson with scoring tosses over the contest's final 30 minutes to cement the triumph for the Maroon and White.
Rogers went on to throw for 450 yards and five touchdowns. It was the sixth time in Rogers' State career he's eclipsed the 400-yard mark and the five scoring passes are tied for second in MSU single-game history.
A dozen different Bulldogs caught passes from Rogers, led by Thomas who accumulated 81 yards on his five catches. Seven MSU players tallied at least 30 yards receiving.
Dillon Johnson led State with his 63 rushing yards. On defense, last season's returning tackler Jett Johnson carried over his 2021 success into a new year with a team-best 13 stops.
Next Up for MSU…
Mississippi State hits the road for the first time this season. The Bulldogs travel to Arizona and will face the Wildcats in a 10 p.m. CT game on Saturday, September 10. The contest is scheduled to be televised by FS1.
