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MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL BRANDON LANGLOIS | Associate Athletics Director/Communications | [email protected] BRIAN OGDEN | Associate Director/Communications | [email protected] SERIES HISTORY MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS (0-0, 0-0 SEC) Overall ............................................. MSU leads 10-3 » Head Coach: Mike Leach (BYU ‘83) In Starkville ....................................... MSU leads 9-2 Career Record: 143-97 (20th Season) In Ruston ......................................................Tied 1-1 MSU Record: 4-7 (2nd Season) Last Meeting .....MSU won 45-3 (11/3/18 in Starkville) vs MATCHUP MATCHUP LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS (0-0, 0-0 C-USA) TELEVISION: ESPNU Head Coach: Skip Holtz (Notre Dame ‘86) THE Play-by-Play .......................................John Schriffen Career Record: 149-112 (22nd Season) LA Tech Record: 61-41 (9th Season) Analyst .................................................Rene Ingoglia RADIO: MSU SPORTS NETWORK TALKING POINTS Play-by-Play ..............................................Neil Price Analyst .....................................................Matt Wyatt MSU begins its 122nd season of football, and second under Sideline .......................................................Jay Perry head coach Mike Leach, on Saturday. State brings an 83-35-2 overall record in season openers into the LA Tech game. MSU has ONLINE: HAILSTATE.COM won 10 of their last 13 season openers. Leach owns a 13-6 record Visit HailState.com for previews, game recaps, in season openers. State is 55-16-1 in season openers at home feature stories, press conferences, video highlights, A two-time national coach of the year, Mike Leach has won 143 photo galleries, stats and more information. For all games in 19 seasons as a head coach highlighted by two 11-win your game-day information, key policies and A-Z guide, seasons, five 9-win seasons, and five 8-win seasons. He’s the only visit HailState.com/Gameday. active Power 5 head coach to produce an 11-win season at two different programs since 2008. MSU MEDIA PORTAL Mississippi State has created an online portal for media MSU played in a bowl game for a school-record 11th straight Of the 25 most productive passing- members covering the Bulldogs’ football program. To year a season ago, defeating Tulsa, 28-26, in the 2020 Lockheed yardage seasons in FBS history, seven access the portal, visit hailst.at/FBMedia. To request Martin Armed Forces Bowl. State is 7-4 in bowl games in that span. were accomplished by Mike Leach- login information, contact Brian Ogden. The Football MSU is one of only four SEC programs to go to a bowl each of the coached quarterbacks. Press Box Page of HailState.com will include links to last 11 seasons, joining Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M. media guides, quick facts, game notes, box scores, PROVEN WINNER One of the most successful coaches in the recaps, pool photography, team and staff headshots MSU claimed its first win over a ranked opponent in a bowl game since 1940 when State defeated then-No. 13 Georgetown, history of college football, Mike Leach’s and other useful links. 143 career wins are the second-most 14-7. Mike Leach is the first head coach in MSU history to win a among active SEC coaches and seventh- bowl game in his first year leading the program. most among active Power 5 coaches. SOCIAL MEDIA: #HAILSTATE For more information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU Mike Leach’s program returns 15 of 22 starters from last Coach Wins football on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join season (eight on offense and seven on defense). One of the 1. Nick Saban 256 2. Mike Leach 143 them on Instagram by searching for “HailStateFB.” youngest teams in college football last year, 26 Bulldogs made 3. Jimbo Fisher 109 their first career start, tied for the FBS lead. Just over 50 percent of 4. Dan Mullen 98 State’s snaps were taken by first-time starters last season. 5. Bryan Harsin 76 2021 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS » LOUISIANA TECH NC STATE @ Memphis LSU @ Texas A&M Alabama @ Vanderbilt Kentucky [HC] @ Arkansas @ Auburn Tennessee State Ole Miss Sept. 4 Sept. 11 Sept. 18 Sept. 25 Oct. 2 Oct. 16 Oct. 23 Oct. 30 Nov. 6 Nov. 13 Nov. 20 Nov. 25 3 p.m. CT 6 p.m. CT 3 p.m. CT TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD 6:30 p.m. CT ESPNU ESPN2 or ESPN2 ESPN ESPNU GAME 1: MISSISSIPPI STATE VS. LOUISIANA TECH NOTEBOOK QUICK FACTS » TALKING POINTS CONTINUED BRANDON LANGLOIS Associate AD/Communications The 2020 season saw MSU claim victories over multiple AP-ranked opponents away from home for the Office: (662) 325-0093 first time since 1980. State defeated No. 6 LSU, 44-34, in Baton Rouge to open the season and No. 22 Tulsa, Cell: (601) 405-5650 28-26, in a neutral matchup at the Armed Forces Bowl. In 1980, the Bulldogs toppled No. 18 Miami (Fla.) on Email: [email protected] the road, 34-31, before defeating No. 1 Alabama, 6-3, on a neutral field. BRIAN OGDEN True freshmen were responsible for 76 percent of the Bulldogs’ touchdowns in 2020. Associate Director/Communications Office: (662) 325-8040 21 MSU passing and receiving records were broken by the Bulldogs in Mike Leach’s first year. Cell: (972) 977-7459 Email: [email protected] State’s 11 opponents in 2020 combined to win 57.1 % of their games, good for the second-highest percentage in the SEC. Based on opponent’s record and opponents’ opponents’ record, the Bulldogs played HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH the second-strongest schedule in the SEC in 2020. Alma Mater: BYU, 1983 Career Record: 143-97 With its 51-32 victory against Missouri on Dec. 19, Mississippi State has now scored 50+ points in at Record at Mississippi State: 4-7 least one game in 10 consecutive seasons. The 51 points were MSU’s most in a game since the Bulldogs’ Record at Washington State: 55-47 54-24 victory at Arkansas on Nov. 2, 2019. Record at Texas Tech: 84-43 WR Jaden Walley and CB Emmanuel Forbes marked Mississippi State’s first duo in program history ASSISTANT COACHES LOCATION to earn Freshman All-American accolades in the same season. Tony Hughes (Associate HC/Nickelbacks) PB Zach Arnett (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers) SL WR Jaden Walley became the first true freshman to lead MSU in receiving yardage since Chad Matt Brock (Special Teams/Outside Linebackers) SL Bumphis (375) in 2009, and his 718 yards were an MSU freshman record. He ranked third among all FBS Darcel McBath (Cornerbacks) SL freshmen. Walley was the only true freshman in the nation last season to record 50+ receptions and 700+ Eric Mele (Running Backs) SL receiving yards. Mason Miller (Offensive Line) SL Dave Nichol (Inside Receivers) SL CB Emmanuel Forbes returned three interceptions for touchdowns in his freshman season which led Jeff Phelps (Defensive Line) PB the nation and is already tied for State’s career record with Johnthan Banks (2009-12), Corey Broomfield Steve Spurrier Jr. (Outside Receivers) PB (2009-12) and Derek Pegues (2005-08). Forbes led the SEC and all true freshmen nationally with five Jason Washington (Safeties) SL interceptions. Forbes also earned a spot on both The Associated Press and ESPN.com All-Bowl teams after delivering his fifth interception of the season and returning it 90 yards for a touchdown in last season’s TEAM HISTORY finale. First Year of Football: 1895 Current Season: 122nd For the first time in school history last season, MSU finished with four players recording 40+ catches. All-Time Overall Record: 565-592-39 (.489) The Bulldogs were the only team in the nation with four players with 40+ catches in 2020. Mike Leach has All-Time SEC Record: 202-379-13 (.351) had at least four players catch 40+ passes in each of his 19 seasons as a head coach. All-Time Bowl Record: 14-10 (.583) QB Will Rogers finished last season with a 69.1 completion percentage, the second highest by a true STADIUM INFORMATION freshman in FBS history. RB Jo’quavious Marks collected 60 receptions last season, which tied for the Name: Davis Wade Stadium most in the country among freshmen. SEC All-Freshman LT Charles Cross played 720 offensive snaps in Field Name: Scott Field 2020 per PFF, the most snaps in the SEC among freshman offensive lineman, and 90 more snaps than the Capacity: 61,337 next closest. Armed Forces Bowl MVP and WR Lideatrick Griffin became just the second player in the Surface: Hybrid Bermuda Grass (Certified Tifway 419) country last season with 135+ kickoff return yards and one receiving touchdown in a single game. Constructed: 1914 RB Jo’quavious Marks, WR Jaden Walley, RB Dillon Johnson and WR Lideatrick Griffin combined UNIVERSITY INFORMATION for 158 receptions in 2020, the most by any true freshmen group in the nation. Location: Starkville, Miss. Founded: February 28, 1878 State was one of six teams in the FBS with four defensive touchdowns in 2020 (3 INT, 1FR). Enrollment: 22,986 Colors: Maroon (PMS 202) and White YEAR 2 OF LEACH ERA BEGINS President: Dr. Mark Keenum Athletics Director: John Cohen Mike Leach was hired as the 34th head coach in program history on Jan. 9, 2020. He previously spent eight seasons at Washington State where he was twice named Pac-12 Coach of the Year. In 2018, he was tabbed the AFCA National Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. Prior to his stint with the Cougars, Leach took Texas Tech to a bowl game in 10 consecutive seasons, setting a program record with 84 victories in his tenure. 2 2021 MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL GAME 1: MISSISSIPPI STATE VS. LOUISIANA TECH NOTEBOOK MISSISSIPPI STATE’S RECORD » Mike Leach is the only active Power Five head coach to produce an 11-win season at two different programs since 2008 and one of two active FBS head coaches to win 50-plus games at multiple Power Five WHEN PLAYING IN 2021 LEACH STREAK programs.