14 in 14: Mississippi State
The Bulldogs took some shots last year, but Mike Leach has some hope for the future.
By: Bossman Slim
Okay...I know, I know. It’s supposed to come out every TUESDAY. And we missed a Tuesday. I swear we’ll get the trains on track, but right now this train is going full speed ahead in the form of a snake. Apologies Mississippi State fans for the wait...but we’ve finally got the 14-in-14 deep dive that you were promised. Unfortunately, it may not be what you want to hear...but we do have a few bright spots that should inspire a little hope.
First, a reminder about a dozen biscuits rating system, which we introduced in our first 14-in-14 on Florida.
1 biscuit: Vanderbilt; so damn dry it falls apart like you were a soldier in the Civil War eating hardtack, and it tastes like the dirt in grandma’s compost pile.
2 biscuits: It cannot get much worse; Like a biscuit from a restaurant in the northeast, a true fraud.
3 biscuits: perennial bottom tier; burned nearly beyond recognition and better used as a hockey puck, sorrey!
4 biscuits: There’s not many worse than us...we’ve got a long way to go; Your third cousin sent some mix in the mail and you bake them, eat half of one, and throw it out.
5 biscuits: pretty dang burnt, but you can cut the top off and eat it like a silver lining. There’s a little hope.
6 biscuits: Right in the middle, there’s some hope, but it’s mostly bland; They look right, but they don’t taste like much.
7 biscuits: Ascending...the program has hope and momentum and has a shot to take a step up; There’s not much fast food around, so Burger King will have to do. It strives for the best, and with a few tweaks, it can be competing with the best.
8 biscuits: Nipping at the heels of the elite; McDonald’s did a damn good job this morning.
9 biscuits: Dark horse to win the conference; Pillsbury Golden Flaky layers. Very good, and with a few more layers would be elite.
10 biscuits: Top tier and feeling good. It won’t take much to take an SEC division title or the whole conference. This is Chick-Fil-A, it’s Saturday, and the minis are poppin’.
11 biscuits: Elite. Flip between one and two in your division each year and you aren’t going anywhere. You’re here to stay, like Hardee’s biscuits.
12 biscuits: It doesn’t get any better than this...you’re a perennial power occupying rare air; It’s Christmas morning and Grandma just made her 100-year-old family recipe, and there are bacon and eggs, butter and jam. Choose your fighter.
Fire up the siren…let’s dig in.
State of the Program is...Rebuilding; 5/12 biscuits
2020 was not the kindest year to Mississippi State. The Mike Leach era started with a bang over 2019 national champion LSU in Baton Rouge, but that was quickly exposed as a smokescreen. The Bulldogs proceeded to lose four straight as the KJ Costello for Heisman hype burned up like a comet and the roster imploded with players jumping off the pirate ship as it began to take on water. At one point in the season, 17 players had either entered the transfer portal or opted-out of the season. That makes it pretty hard to win from a depth perspective, and it showed on the field. Mississippi State got thumped multiple times in 2020. The year did end with two straight wins, including over a ranked Tulsa team. But as an SEC team, you’re expected to win that game no matter what, so how much does that really matter. It was also marred by the brawl at the end of the game that got ugly. While the national media lambasted Mike Leach for his response, we didn’t mind it. Just Leach being Leach and we also didn’t think his response regarding the fight was that bad.
It’s obvious that this program is in rebuilding mode. Looking at Leach’s coaching history, the 3-4 year mark is where the program begins to turn around, so patience is needed in Starkville. There are bright spots to get Bulldog fans excited for the future, and building blocks for Leach to begin to turn things around. Freshman Will “Wild Bill” Rogers showed promise this year, putting in gutsy performances against Georgia, Missouri and Tulsa. The Bulldog defense was also stingy, coming in 6th in total defense in the SEC. Those are two solid blocks on which to build. Another block is in recruiting. While the 2021 class doesn’t look overly impressive on paper (#26 in the country, #10 in the SEC according to 247), the class is classic Leach. It is loaded with quarterbacks to replenish the roster. There are two 4-star wide receivers and diamond in the rough athletes, and there are high-impact transfers, like former 4-star cornerback Jalen Green from Texas. The 2022 class is also off to a great start, coming in at #25. It isn’t flashy, but it’s what Leach does best - find diamonds in the rough, sprinkle in a few skill position 4-stars, then develop them inside his famous system.
What went right in 2020
Photo: Rogelio V. Solis, AP Photo
QB Will Rogers gave the Bulldogs some hope for the future late in the season.
Not much. A win over LSU is always nice, playing Georgia close was a nice surprise and reason for hope, and blowing out Missouri and finishing with a bowl win over a ranked team gave Bulldog fans optimism. But finishing 4-7 is never where you want to be. As we mentioned above, Will Rogers started to take the reigns of the QB position late in the season, showing guts and moxie. The defense is was also salty, finishing 6th in the SEC as we mentioned, but it was wasted by an offense that couldn’t get out of its own way, throwing 18 interceptions and finishing 12/14 in total offense.
What went wrong in 2020
It’s a laundry list. Turnovers killed momentum and cost the Bulldogs wins. Star running back Kylin Hill got hurt then opted out after the LSU game, robbing State of their best offensive threat. KJ Costello didn’t pan out as Mike Leach hoped, forcing him to turn the reigns over to a freshman QB. The roster went into full mutiny mode, leaving depth as a major issue that plagued the team for most of 2020. We could spend a lot of real estate discussing Mississippi State’s 2020 season issues, but those were the main reasons for a 4-7 season.
What the Bulldogs need in 2021
Progression. Hail State needs to see progress in year two of the Leach era in all facets. It starts with progression in the win column, but many things need to happen for that to come to fruition. Will Rogers needs to progress in his sophomore season. The offensive side of the ball needs to progress and take the next step in their understanding of Mike Leach’s Star Wars offense. The defense, while often stellar in 2020, needs to ensure there is no regression, but rather improvement. And there needs to be a move up the ladder in recruiting. Finishing with a 2022 class around the top 15 would be a big win for Leach and keep the program on the right trajectory.
How they can earn some extra biscuits
Looking ahead at the 2021 schedule, 7-5 is within reach. An 8-4 regular season would definitely boost the Bulldogs in the biscuit ratings and show that Leach has Mississippi State ascending ahead of schedule. Will Rogers makes the next step at QB and new skill positions players step up, while the defense stays in the upper tier of the conference. That’s how they’ll earn their biscuits next year.
Did we get it right? Completely wrong? What’d we miss? Chip us on Twitter @biscuitsandsec. We’re working to have the Tennessee one up later this week to make up for lost ground.
Next up:
Tennessee