The rumbling of cowbells at Davis Wade Stadium brought about an opening game victory for the Mississippi State University Bulldogs over the Southeastern Louisiana University Lions 48-7.
The Bulldogs, led by first-year head coach Zach Arnett, came into the game looking to build some confidence.
Coach Arnett spoke about what he has learned about being a head coach and how it is different from being a coordinator.
“I did learn real quickly that a lot of times you are sitting around as head coach. You can’t really be involved in defensive conversations because maybe you don’t know the game plan as in-depth as all those coaches do, and you can’t be involved in the offensive coaches because maybe you know the game plan, but you aren’t in all of the long meetings and every X and O detail,” Arnett said. “It’s all about players. Players prepare, players go out and create a play.”
The first quarter began, and Mississippi State’s offense got off to a slow start as the Lions forced an early fourth down. The Bulldogs’ defense quickly answered the call, sending the Lions back on defense.
On their second possession, the Bulldogs pressed onward down the field; however, SLU slowed them, forcing Mississippi State to send out freshman kicker Kyle Ferrie for a 47-yard field goal. Ferrie’s kick was successful and gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead with 4:02 left in the quarter.
Going into the second quarter, Mississippi State led by a slim three points.
The Bulldogs’ defense came alive on the first play of the quarter when senior Nathaniel Watson forced a fumble.
The turnover sparked life into the Bulldog’s offense. MSU senior running back Jo’Quavious Marks caught a 32-yard pass from senior quarterback Will Rogers. Marks took a handoff and rushed in a one-yard touchdown on the following play. With MSU leading 10-0, the loyal maroon and white fans roared.
Watson spoke following the game about his forced fumble and its impact on the team.
“I think it impacted a lot. I was fortunate to get that fumble and give the offense some juice to go down and punch it in,” Watson said.
However, SLU blocked out the noise on their drive, frustrating the Bulldogs’ defense. The drive resulted in the Lions’ junior quarterback Zachary Clement completing a two-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Jacob Logan to bring the game within three with 5:32 remaining.
The Bulldogs responded on their next drive as Will Rogers delivered a 33-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Creed Whittemore to extend their lead to 17-7.
Following a punt by SLU, the Bulldogs put together another scoring drive that was capped off by a 49-yard field goal by Ferrie, giving MSU a 20-7 lead at halftime.
Opening the second half, the Bulldog defense forced a three-and-out for the Lions’ offense as Nathaniel Watson racked up a 12-yard sack on third down.
The MSU offense was rolling on their first possession of the third, but the Lions intervened as MSU failed to convert on fourth down.
The Lions could not come to life on their drive, and Mississippi State took their next offensive possession by storm. Following a four-yard gain on first down, quarterback Mike Wright entered the game for two straight quarterback keepers on the drive and pushed the Bulldogs 64 yards down the field.
MSU soon capitalized on the strong runs with a touchdown as Rogers converted a five-yard touchdown pass to senior Jaden Walley with 1:30 left.
As the game rolled into the fourth quarter, Mississippi State was maintaining a 27-7 lead.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, MSU’s John Lewis blocked the Lion’s punt, and MSU’s Avery Sledge returned it for a touchdown. The crowd was electric from the start of the fourth quarter, and the play only amplified them.
SLU’s next drive was stopped again by Mississippi State’s defense. The Bulldogs came back on offense, quickly moved down the field and ended their drive with Marks running in for a six-yard touchdown.
Mississippi State added another touchdown in the fourth and ran out with a 48-7 win for their first game of the season.
The Bulldogs defense completely silenced the Lions in the half. MSU senior linebacker Jett Johnson spoke about the impact of the defense’s shutdown of SLU in the second.
“I wish we would have pitched a shutout because [Coach] Brock after we got 3 points, the offense was struggling for a second, he was like ‘since we have three points and they have zero, we should win a game, and we shouldn’t let them score points’,” Johnson said. “And that’s kind of our standard.”
Up next for the Bulldogs, Mississippi State will host the University of Arizona. The game is set for kickoff at 6 p.m. on Saturday and will be broadcasted on SEC Network.
Mississippi State Wide Receiver Creed Whittemore (#85) during the game between the Southeastern Louisiana Lions and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on September 2, 2023
