Mississippi State knew that a trip to the desert was not going to be an easy win, and Arizona did everything they could to stay with the Bulldogs. It wasn’t enough, as Will Rogers threw for 4 touchdowns and the MSU defense picked off three passes, pushing State to a 39-17 victory over the Wildcats. The Bulldogs are 2-0 on the season for the second year in a row.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
𝘿𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣’ 𝘿𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙄𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙩
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) September 11, 2022
He didn’t have the big plays he enjoyed a week ago, but Will Rogers sliced up the Arizona defense with pinpoint passing. Rogers completed 80% of his throws on the evening, threw for four touchdowns, and scrambled for a key first down on the final scoring drive of the game for the Bulldogs. Arizona’s defense set up to force the Bulldogs into the short passing game, and Rogers delivered like the veteran he is.
BIG PLAYS FROM THE DEFENSE
MOMENTUM! DAWGS!
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) September 11, 2022
A week ago, Arizona quarterback Jayden De Laura put together a performance that earned him PAC-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors. On Saturday, he spent the entire game running away from a Bulldog defense that provided consistent pressure from the first snap. State held Arizona to 316 yards, 149 of which came on the first and last drive of the games. Two Wildcat scores were set up on a short field by Bulldog turnovers. MSU picked off three passes and sacked De Laura twice, while dominating the line of scrimmage and limiting the Wildcats to 40 yards rushing.
WHAT’S NEXT?
First Win Under Brian Kelly pic.twitter.com/dJkcCk9eja
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) September 11, 2022
The last time Mike Leach took his Bulldogs to Tiger Stadium, they knocked off the defending national champions with a record setting passing day. It shouldn’t be as easy this time around, but Brian Kelly’s LSU Tigers still look like a work in progress. Mississippi State will look to grab its first SEC win of the season on Saturday in what could be a massive game for both teams. Kickoff is set for 5 PM in Baton Rouge.
