The college football season is approaching. Each SEC team will be previewed before the season. Here is the 2022 SEC Football Preview: Mississippi State Bulldogs.
2021 Record: 7-6 (4-4), 4th in West
L vs Texas Tech in Liberty Bowl
The 2021 season was a roller coaster ride, which can tend to be the case with Mike Leach. There were concerns early on with a near loss to Louisiana Tech and a loss to Memphis. The Bulldogs turned it around with big wins against ranked Texas A&M and Kentucky. The season ended in disappointment however with another Egg Bowl loss and a beating at the hands of Mike Leach’s former Texas Tech squad.
Bulldog fans’ hopes are high for year three. Year 3-4 is notably when Leach has his personnel in place and things start clicking. We saw flashes of that last season with an air raid offense that made a big jump from the 2020 season. The Dawgs led the SEC in passing while limiting the interceptions.
Will Rogers Continues to Improve
Junior Will Rogers made a big jump last season. After a mediocre freshman year he looked more comfortable in Leach’s system and had a terrific 2021 season. Rogers was second in passing behind only Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young. He elevated his touchdown total to 36 while keeping his interceptions low at 9.
Almost the entire offense returns behind Rogers. Three of the offensive lineman return as well as three of the top four pass catchers. Jo’quavious Marks is back at tailback where he’s an effective runner and even better pass catcher. Jaden Walley and Austin Williams return at wide receiver after solid 2021 seasons.
Experienced Defense
Picking up right where the offense left off, the defense returns the bulk of it’s experience. Leading tacklers Jett Johnson and Nathaniel Watson return at linebacker. The entire defensive line is also back as well as the lone All-SEC player in Emmanuel Forbes who led the team in interceptions.
Year three is certainly shaping up as the year Mississippi makes the jump. Three of the regular season losses in 2021 were by a field goal or less. One was due to questionable officiating (Memphis) and another the result of several missed field goals (Arkansas). The Dawgs have the tools to make some noise in the West in 2022.
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