Mike Leach Era Saturday When It Plays No
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE MATCHUP: GAME 1 BROADCAST INFORMATION MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS (0-0) TV: CBS Play-by-Play: Brad Nessler vs Analysts: Gary Danielson Reporter: Jamie Erdahl #6/5 LSU TIGERS (0-0) September 26, 2020 · 2:30 p.m. CT · Baton Rouge, La. · Tiger Stadium (102,321 - limited to 25 percent) RADIO: MSU SPORTS RADIO NETWORK Play-by-Play: Neil Price STORYLINES Analyst: Matt Wyatt Sideline: Jay Perry • Mississippi State begins its 121st season of football and the Mike Leach era Saturday when it plays No. 6 LSU in Baton Rouge. The sixth-ranked Tigers will be the highest-ranked opponent in a season opener since State opened the 2007 season against No. TEAM INFORMATION 2 LSU in Starkville (L, 0-45). MISSISSIPPI STATE • MSU’s last true road SEC opening game was in 1967 at Georgia. The Bulldogs are 19-10-1 all-time when opening the year on Head Coach: Mike Leach (BYU, 1983) the road, but just 6-12 when meeting an SEC opponent in the lid lifter. State has opened conference play with a road win 12 times. Rankings: RV (AP) / RV (Coaches) Overall Record: 139-90 (19th season) • Last year, MSU concluded the decade as one of only five SEC programs to go to a bowl every season from 2010-19, joining Mississippi State Record: 0-0 (first season) Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Texas A&M. LSU • MSU brings an 85-33-2 overall record in season-openers into the LSU game. The Bulldogs have won nine of their last 12 season Head Coach: Ed Orgeron (Northwestern State, 1984) openers. Mike Leach owns a 12-6 record in season openers, including a 3-3 mark in season openers on the road. Rankings: 6 (AP) / 5 (Coaches) Overall Record: 56-36 (ninth season) • A two-time national coach of the year, Mike Leach was hired as the 34th head coach in program history on Jan. 6, 2020. He has LSU Record: 40-9 (fifth season) won 139 games in 18 seasons as a head coach highlighted by two 11-win seasons, five 9-win seasons, and five 8-win seasons. He’s the only active Power 5 head coach to produce an 11-win season at two different programs since 2008. • Mike Leach leads active FBS head coaches with the most average passing yards per game since 2001 (394.5). Over 2020 MISSISSIPPI STATE SCHEDULE the last eight seasons, his offense is at the top of the list (among head coaches with four years experience) in Overall: 0-0 | H: 0-0 | A: 0-0 | N: 0-0 completion percentage (66.9 percent). SEPTEMBER (0-0) • Since 2005, Mike Leach’s offenses have passed for 500+ yards in 26 games, which is No. 1 in the nation among active FBS head 26 at No. 6/5 LSU * CBS 2:30 p.m. coaches and 15 more than the next head coach during that time frame. His offense has totaled 600+ offensive yards in 25 different games, which ranks third among active FBS head coaches during that span. OCTOBER (0-0) 3 Arkansas SECN Alt. 6:30 p.m. • Mike Leach has coached a 3,000+ yard passer in 17 of his 18 seasons as a head coach at Texas Tech (2000-09) and Washington 10 at Kentucky TBA TBA 17 Texas A&M TBA TBA State (2012-19). His first 3,000+ yard passer as a head coach was Kliff Kingsbury in 2000, Tech’s first in program history. 31 at Alabama ESPN 6 p.m. • State returns a dozen starters from the 2019 team, including four on offense (RB Kylin Hill, WR Osirus Mitchell, OL Greg NOVEMBER (0-0) Eiland and OL Dareuan Parker), four on defense (DT Jaden Crumedy, DE Marquiss Spencer, LB Erroll Thompson and S C.J. 7 Vanderbilt SECN 3 p.m. Morgan) and four specialists (PK Jace Christmann, KO Scott Goodman, LS Paul Blackwell and P Tucker Day). 14 Auburn TBA TBA 21 at Georgia TBA TBA • The Bulldogs lost 27 letterwinners along with 15 offensive and defensive starters. Notable departures include LB Willie Gay Jr., 28 at Ole Miss TBA TBA CB Cameron Dantzler, OT Tyre Phillips, QB Tommy Stevens and S Brian Cole II who were all selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. Dantzler and Phillips have both started at least one game for their respective franchises in their rookie years. DECEMBER (0-0) 5 Missouri TBA TBA NUMBERS TO KNOW MISSISSIPPI STATE COACHING STAFF Mike Leach, head coach (1st) Nine QBs have thrown for 3,000+ passing Mike Leach’s 139 career wins are *Tony Hughes, associate head coach/nickelbacks (9th, 2nd stint) yards in 17 seasons during Mike Leach’s 18 9 139 No. 7 among active FBS head coaches. Zach Arnett, defensive coordinator/linebackers (1st) seasons as a head coach. Matt Brock, special teams coordinator/outside LBs (1st) Darcel McBath, conerbacks (1st) Each of Mike Leach’s last four starting QBs Mike Leach’s teams have passed for 350+ *Eric Mele, running backs (1st) led the nation in passing yards per game for yards 107 times since 2005 (most among Mason Miller, offensive line (1st) 4 the season at least once during their career. 107 active FBS head coaches in that span). Dave Nichol, inside receivers (1st) *Jeff Phelps, defensive line (1st) In each of the last three seasons, Mike Leach’s offense has gone three and out on just *Steve Spurrier Jr., outside receivers (1st) Leach’s teams have boasted five players with 14.54 percent of possessions over the last 16 years Jason Washington, safeties (1st) 50 50+ receptions. 14.5 (leads FBS head coaches with 4+ years experience). * - denotes in the booth MISSISSIPPI STATE DEPTH CHART OFFENSE DEFENSE WR (X) 4 Malik Heath 6-3 215 Jr.-JC DE 52 Kobe Jones 6-4 260 Sr.-2L -or- 18 Cameron Gardner 6-4 220 So.-1L 15 Jack Harris 6-3 250 RFr.-RS 81 Lideatrick Griffin 5-10 175 Fr.-HS NT 94 Jaden Crumedy 6-5 300 So.-1L WR (H) 0 JaVonta Payton 6-1 180 Sr.-1L 22 Nathan Pickering 6-4 310 So.-1L 11 Geor’quarius Spivey 6-5 240 So.-1L -or- 6 Garrett Shrader 6-4 215 So.-1L DT 42 Marquiss Spencer 6-4 300 Sr.-3L 17 Aaron Odom 6-3 275 Jr.-1L LT 67 Charles Cross 6-5 290 RFr.-RS 58 Kameron Jones 6-5 305 So.-SQ SAM 2 Tyrus Wheat 6-2 260 Jr.-JC 6 Jordan Davis 6-4 260 Jr.-JC LG 55 Greg Eiland 6-8 335 Sr.-3L 63 LaQuinston Sharp 6-3 300 Sr.-1L MIKE 40 Erroll Thompson 6-1 250 Sr.-3L 14 Nathaniel Watson 6-2 250 So.-1L C 57 Cole Smith 6-3 305 So.-SQ 71 James Jackson 6-3 330 Jr.-2L WILL 3 Aaron Brule 6-1 230 So.-1L 44 Jett Johnson 6-2 235 So.-SQ RG 56 Dareuan Parker 6-4 355 Sr.-3L -or- 54 Rodney Groce Jr. 6-2 245 Fr.-HS 72 Brandon Cunningham 6-4 300 RFr.-RS CB 1 Martin Emerson 6-2 195 So.-1L RT 69 Kwatrivous Johnson 6-7 315 So.-SQ 30 Decamerion Richardson 6-2 180 Fr.-HS 78 Scott Lashley 6-7 315 Sr.-GTR FS 38 Fred Peters 5-10 210 Sr.-1L WR (Y) 85 Austin Williams 6-3 200 Jr.-2L 19 Collin Duncan 6-0 205 So.-SQ 31 Jaden Walley 6-0 180 Fr.-HS BULLDOG 7 Marcus Murphy 6-1 200 Jr.-2L WR (Z) 9 Tyrell Shavers 6-6 200 Jr.-GTR 12 Shawn Preston Jr. 6-0 210 So.-1L 5 Osirus Mitchell 6-5 210 Sr.-3L -or- 17 Caleb Ducking 6-5 200 Jr.-JC SS 28 Londyn Craft 6-0 200 Jr.-SQ -or- 84 Dontea Jones 6-4 230 Sr.-3L 24 Dylan Lawrence 6-4 195 RFr.-RS QB 3 K.J. Costello 6-5 225 Sr.-GTR CB 27 Esaias Furdge 6-0 185 So.-SQ -or- 2 Will Rogers 6-2 205 Fr.-HS 13 Emmanuel Forbes 6-0 180 Fr.-HS RB 8 Kylin Hill 5-11 210 Sr.-3L 21 Jo’quavious Marks 5-10 195 Fr.-HS SPECIALISTS -or- 23 Dillon Johnson 6-0 215 Fr.-HS -or- 22 Lee Witherspoon 5-10 195 So.-1L PK 8 Brandon Ruiz 5-10 180 Jr.-GTR 47 Jace Christmann 6-0 195 Sr.-3L -or- 91 Nolan McCord 6-0 170 Fr.-HS KO 8 Brandon Ruiz 5-10 180 Jr.-GTR 48 Scott Goodman 5-10 200 Jr.-2L -or- 37 Tucker Day 6-0 210 Jr.-2L P 37 Tucker Day 6-0 210 Jr.-2L -or- 97 Reed Bowman 6-0 200 Sr.-SQ LS 43 Paul Blackwell 5-10 205 Sr.-1L 68 Hayes Hammond 5-10 190 Fr.-HS -or- 41 Colby Cox 6-1 240 Fr.-HS H 97 Reed Bowman 6-0 200 Sr.-SQ 37 Tucker Day 6-0 210 Jr.-2L KR 0 JaVonta Payton 6-1 180 Sr.-1L -or- 21 Jo’quavious Marks 5-10 195 Fr.-HS PR 85 Austin Williams 6-3 200 Jr.-2L 22 Lee Witherspoon 5-10 195 So.-1L 2 HAILSTATE.COM First Season MIKE LEACH @Coach_Leach 34TH HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AT MISSISSIPPI STATE 2018 & 2008 NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR Mike Leach, a two-time national coach of the year, three-time and eight consecutive seasons of at least eight victories. conference coach of the year and the mastermind behind the NCAA The architect of the most prolific passing offense in the country, record-setting “Air Raid” offense, was tabbed Mississippi State’s 34th Leach received three national coach of the year awards in 2008 - the head football coach on January 9, 2020.