Mississippi State’s passing game starts on a roll

Mississippi State has actually excessive requirements for its passing recreation.

It begins with head coach Mike Leach, and it extends to record-setting quarterback Will Rogers.

The passing recreation was excellent within the Bulldogs’ 49-23 victory over visiting Memphis within the season opener final Saturday.

However Rogers wasn’t all that impressed.

“We’re not anyplace close to the place we must be but,” Rogers mentioned.

Each participant and each group expects to enhance from week to week over the course of the season.

And Rogers and the remainder of the group might be working this week to be higher after they go to Arizona on Saturday.

They count on to be an entire lot higher by the point the Egg Bowl, and presumably a postseason bowl recreation, roll round.

However as opening-night performances go, Rogers’ 38-of-49 for 450 yards with 5 touchdowns and 1 interception appears actually good.

“There’s throw after throw that I would like again,” Rogers mentioned. “I’m type of ticked off about it, to be sincere.”

Effectively, the interception actually is one he would need again. It led to a Tigers area purpose.

Rogers attributed that turnover to “a miscommunication.”

Later, he would lose a fumble whereas making an attempt to go.

However in any other case, it’s onerous to the place there might be an entire bunch of throws that Rogers would need again, given how so many turned out so nicely.

Rogers linked with 12 teammates, 4 of whom had not less than 5 catches every.

The Bulldogs return 72.2 % of their receptions from final season, the 2nd-highest share within the SEC. And but, even with so many skilled gamers returning, loads of guys surpassed loads of earlier bests Saturday night time.

Rara Thomas tied a profession excessive with 5 receptions and had a career-high 81 yards, which was the highest yardage complete among the many Bulldogs on Saturday. Thomas has 6 landing catches in his final 6 video games.

Caleb Ducking had a career-long 33-yard reception. Then he topped that with a 35-yard catch, which additionally produced his 1st profession landing. He completed with a career-high 73 receiving yards.

Rufus Harvey had profession highs of 5 catches and 61 yards. He had a career-long 33-yard catch, which led to his 2nd profession landing.

Lideatrick Griffin tied his profession excessive with 5 catches and completed with 60 yards.

Justin Robinson made his 1st profession catch, which produced a 23-yard landing.

Antonio Harmon made his 1st profession reception.

In all, State had 10 “explosive” passing performs (longer than 15 yards), which added as much as 242 yards and resulted in 4 touchdowns.

Because of this, the Bulldogs possessed the ball for greater than half the time in every quarter, ending with a complete time of possession of 41 minutes and 11 seconds.

The participant who caught essentially the most passes from Rogers was working again Dillon Johnson, who had 6 catches for 39 yards. So long as we’re cataloguing profession highs and career-bests, it’s value noting that Johnson additionally had profession highs with 14 rushes for 67 yards.

One other working again, Simeon Worth, had his first profession reception, gaining 20 yards.

Rogers already holds the varsity document for completions, and he handed Dak Prescott for many profession makes an attempt in the course of the recreation in opposition to Memphis.

There are an entire bunch of different profession lists the place he’s approaching the highest and doubtless will proceed his ascension throughout this season.

Rogers downplayed his and the passing recreation’s 1st efficiency of the season. However it’s additionally value noting that it included a climate delay of greater than 2 hours that got here as Rogers and his receivers had been roaring out of the gate.

And so they saved rolling.

“I believed he did a extremely good job holding issues collectively,” Leach mentioned of Rogers. “He actually did a superb job seeing the sphere. Most likely the most effective performances I believe he’s had so far as seeing the sphere.”