Erroll Thompson Is the 16Th Bulldog in Program History to Record 300 Career Tackles and the First to Do So Since Mario Haggan 21 at No
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2020 LOCKHEED MARTIN ARMED FORCES BOWL BROADCAST INFORMATION MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS (3-7, 3-7 SEC) TV: ESPN Play-by-Play: Chris Cotter vs Analyst: Mark Herzlich Reporter: Ian Fitzsimmons TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE (6-2, 6-0 AMERICAN) December 31, 2020 · 11 a.m. CT · Fort Worth, Texas · Amon G. Carter Stadium (47,000 - limited to 20 percent) RADIO: MSU SPORTS RADIO NETWORK Play-by-Play: Neil Price STORYLINES Analyst: Matt Wyatt Sideline: Jay Perry • Mississippi State will play in a bowl game for the 11th straight year, joining Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M as one of only four SEC programs to go to a bowl each of the last 11 seasons. MSU is making its 24th all-time bowl appearance and owns a 13-10 bowl record. SIRIUS XM RADIO MSU Broadcast Channels: 191, 962 • It will be the first time that State plays in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, and the Bulldogs are the first SEC team to TEAM INFORMATION play in the game. MISSISSIPPI STATE • The Bulldogs have never played Tulsa. The game will mark the 12th time MSU has met an opponent for the first time in program Head Coach: Mike Leach (BYU, 1983) history in a bowl game, and the Bulldogs are 6-5 in prior bowls when playing an opponent for the first time. Rankings: NR (AP) / NR (Coaches) Overall Record: 142-97 (19th season) • With its 51-32 victory against Missouri on Dec. 19, Mississippi State has now scored 50+ points in at least one game in 10 Mississippi State Record: 3-7 (first season) consecutive seasons. The 51 points were MSU’s most in a game since the Bulldogs’ 54-24 victory at Arkansas on Nov. 2, 2019. TULSA • RB Jo’quavious Marks (56), WR Jaden Walley (48), WR Osirus Mitchell (46) and WR Austin Williams (40) make MSU the Head Coach: Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State, 1995) only program in the country to boast four players with 40 or more receptions this season. Auburn and No. 2 Clemson are the only Rankings: 24 (CFP) / 22 (AP) / 25 (Coaches) programs with three such receivers. Overall Record: 31-39 (seventh season) Tulsa Record: 31-39 (seventh season) • There have been just two seasons in MSU history where multiple players caught 50+ passes in the same year (2015 - Fred Ross and De'Runnya Wilson, 1969 - Sammy Milner and David Smith). 2020 MISSISSIPPI STATE SCHEDULE • Marks, Walley and RB Dillon Johnson (34 receptions) are in position to give MSU three freshmen with more catches than the Overall: 3-7 | H: 2-3 | A: 1-4 | N: 0-0 Bulldogs' freshman record entering the season. RB Justin Griffith caught 37 passes in his freshman season in 1999. SEPTEMBER (1-0) • 26 Bulldogs have made their first career start this year, tied for the FBS lead. Nearly 50 percent of State's snaps have been taken 26 at No. 6/5 LSU CBS 21,124 W, 44-34 by first-time starters this year. OCTOBER (0-4) 3 Arkansas SECN Alt. 13,564 L, 14-21 • Walley currently leads MSU with a freshman-record 691 receiving yards and would be first freshman to lead State in receiving 10 at Kentucky SECN 12,000 L, 2-24 yardage since Chad Bumphis (375) in 2009. He ranks second nationally among freshmen. 17 No. 11/11 Texas A&M ESPN 13,142 L, 14-28 31 at No. 2/2 Alabama ESPN 19,424 L, 0-41 • Freshman All-American candidate DB Emmanuel Forbes has four interceptions this season, which is tied for fifth in the nation and tied for the lead among true freshmen nationally. He is tied for fifth among FBS freshmen with 10 total pass defenses and NOVEMBER (1-2) tied for 22nd overall. 7 Vanderbilt SECN 12,888 W, 24-17 14 No. 24/21 Auburn -- Postponed -- • LB Erroll Thompson is the 16th Bulldog in program history to record 300 career tackles and the first to do so since Mario Haggan 21 at No. 13/11 Georgia SECN 20,524 L, 24-31 (1999-2002, 359). He ow sits at 303 career tackles and is one shy of his single-season career high (87) set in his sophomore year. 28 at Ole Miss SECN 16,218 L, 24-31 DECEMBER (1-1) • Mississippi State is one of seven Power Five teams in the nation with more than 1,500 yards after catch this season. The Bulldogs 5 Missouri -- Postponed -- are third in the SEC in yards after catch (1,894) and rank fourth nationally. 12 Auburn SECN 12,986 L, 10-24 19 Missouri SECN Alt. 11,748 W, 51-32 • Mike Leach has now led his squads to 17 bowl games across his 19 seasons as a head coach with an 8-8 record in those games. 31 vs. Tulsa (Fort Worth) ESPN 11 a.m. NUMBERS TO KNOW MISSISSIPPI STATE COACHING STAFF Mike Leach, head coach (1st) WR Jaden Walley, average receiving yards Seasons in which Mike Leach has guided a *Tony Hughes, associate head coach/nickelbacks (9th, 2nd stint) over his active streak of four consecutive 130 17 program to a bowl game. Zach Arnett, defensive coordinator/linebackers (1st) 100-yard receiving games. Matt Brock, special teams coordinator/outside LBs (1st) Darcel McBath, conerbacks (1st) Mississippi State is the only program in the DB Emmanuel Forbes is tied for fifth in the *Eric Mele, running backs (1st) country to have four pass catchers with 40 or FBS in interceptions (4), which is tied for the Mason Miller, offensive line (1st) 4 more receptions. 5 most by a true freshman in 2020. Dave Nichol, inside receivers (1st) *Jeff Phelps, defensive line (1st) LB Erroll Thompson ranks 12th among active *Steve Spurrier Jr., outside receivers (1st) Consecutive seasons with a bowl berth for MSU. players nationally with 303 career tackles and is Jason Washington, safeties (1st) 11 12 one tackle shy of a single-season career high. * - 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 11 Geor’quarius Spivey 6-5 240 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 12 Shawn Preston Jr. 6-0 210 So.-1L WR (Z) 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 21 Jo’quavious Marks 5-10 195 Fr.-HS -or- 23 Dillon Johnson 6-0 215 Fr.-HS SPECIALISTS -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 The architect of the most prolific passing offense in the country, conference coach of the year and the mastermind behind the NCAA Leach received three national coach of the year awards in 2008 - the record-setting “Air Raid” offense, was tabbed Mississippi State’s 34th Woody Hayes Award, Howie Long/Fieldturf Coach of the Year and George head football coach on January 9, 2020.