Up 10 to seven over the University of Kentucky right before halftime, Mississippi State University’s defense needed to stop the Wildcat offense on third and one—not only to protect their lead but to give the Bulldog offense time to score.
On that third down, the Wildcats (5-2, 2-2 SEC) took a shot with a deep pass down the home sideline, a play that burned the Bulldog (5-2, 2-2 SEC) defense before. However, this go around, true freshman linebacker Willie Gay Jr. stayed with the receiver step for step and broke up the pass with his hand.
Head coach Dan Mullen commented on the importance of the play after the game. It gave the MSU offense time to score before the end of the half, giving MSU back-to-back possessions because MSU also started the second half with the ball.
it gave the offense time to score and gave MSU back-to-back possessions as MSU started the second half with the ball.
“That really changes the game and gives us momentum to go down and score,” Mullen said. “Knowing we get the ball back at the start of the second half was big.”
As Gay broke up the pass, excitement surrounded the MSU sideline, as it would for any big play. However, this was not a play made by a veteran safety or a corner in coverage.
It was made by a true freshman linebacker who said pass coverage was one aspect of his game he wanted to improve. 
“Get a hand in there when the receiver is going to catch a ball, don’t look back and just play the ball,” Gay said. “We work that drill every single day. It paid off.”
Gay, from Starkville, was rated as 4-star linebacker by the 247sports.com composite rating and was ranked in the top 100 high school players in the country.
True freshmen who make big plays are rare at MSU. Mullen has developed a system where players redshirt their first season allowing them to develop over time.
The reason most freshmen need a year to develop is that football is faster at college level, especially in a league like the SEC. College football is made up of all the best high school players. Athletes can no longer rely on being one of the fastest guys on the field because everyone on the field was the fastest guy at his high school. This is a jump for a lot of players, but Gay has adjusted well.
Freshmen usually do not get serious playing time until they have had a couple years in the program. However, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said he knew Gay was a guy with the talent to play early.
“When we recruited him, we talked to him about having the ability to contribute for us early and he has,” Grantham said. “He plays on special teams and we work to get him in there early in the first and second halves.”
The veteran linebackers said the first thing they noticed about Gay is he picks things up things a faster than they did as freshmen. The biggest improvement they have seen in Gay over the course of the season is the way he slows the game down in his mind. 
“Willie is a pretty athletic guy, but the speed of the game is fast too, so I think that part of it has slowed down for him,” Grantham said. “He has developed into a guy that is comfortable in our system, and we will continue to play him.”
Gay attributes his advances to nothing more than hard work and caring about his craft.
“To succeed, you just have to put effort into it what you’re doing,” Gay said. “You want to do something, you can do it.”
This week, MSU travels to College Station, Texas, to take on Texas A&M University (5-2, 3-1 SEC). Kickoff is set for 6:15 p.m. and ESPN will broadcast the game.
The game starts the back half of the season for MSU. After A&M, they will get one more non-conference opponent against the University of Massachusetts and then play three SEC games to close the season.
Gay said he plans to finish out the season by working on the little things.
“I have to keep doing what I am doing, but I have to get better at the things I am trying to improve on,” Gay said. “Every little detail of the game, I can’t get complacent. I have to keep getting better every day.”