Three Standouts From Mississippi State's 24-22 Victory Over Ole Miss
Mississippi State (8-4) brought the Golden Egg back to Starkville for the first time in the Mike Leach era as the Bulldogs took down the Ole Miss Rebels, 24-22 as underdogs in Oxford.
Despite some of the ups and downs the team had throughout the regular season, they were able to end things off on a high note, now on a two-game winning streak as they await their bowl game destination.
Here's a look into three players who particularly stood out in the rainy victory:
1. LB Jett Johnson.
Johnson has only continued to emerge this season, recording his fifth game with at least 10 tackles, tied for most tackles in the win with cornerback Decamerion Richardson and linebacker Nathaniel "Bookie" Watson.
The Bulldogs linebacker had one of the key plays of the game as he recovered a fumble within the final seven minutes of the contest on what was ruled a lateral pass from quarterback Jaxson Dart to wide receiver Jonathan Mingo at the Mississippi State 30-yard line.
Johnson was a major factor in last year's Egg Bowl as well with 11 total tackles and an interception he nearly returned for a touchdown. He finishes out the 2022 season with 103 total tackles (43 solo), two fumble recoveries, two passes defended and one sack.
2. DE Randy Charlton.
In any win or loss, there are several moments one can point to as the potential deciding factor.
But there's no question Charlton came up in a crucial moment in the final one-and-a-half minutes of the game as he deflected quarterback Jaxson Dart's shovel pass on a two-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game if it were successful.
Leach spoke to Charlton's performance after the victory.
"(Randy Charlton is) a big strong guy. Lives in a world of destruction," Leach said.
"The biggest thing on a play like that is get up field, but if you get too far up field you’ll over run it. I try to run plays like that all the time, and they usually don’t work. If we see it right away, we’re in position. And they pounce on it. He’s a big strong guy who is good at controlling offensive linemen, even the best of guys."
The former UCF transfer finishes the season with 33 combined tackles (15 solo), 3.0 sacks and one forced fumble.
3. RBs Dillon Johnson, Jo'quavious "Woody" Marks.
There's no question the Air Raid demands versatility out of its running backs, requiring them to perform at a high level in the traditional role, out of the backfield and as a blocker. Johnson and Marks have developed well within the system as was on display Thursday night.
Both finished with similar stat lines as they made an impact on the ground and through the air when MSU did choose to pass in the weather. Johnson finished the game as the team's leading receiver with eight catches for 46 yards, carrying the ball 12 times for 73 yards and nearly recording a touchdown as he came up just short of the pylon (though there's plenty of controversy surrounding this as Johnson himself says he "100 percent scored") after the Jett Johnson recovery.
That much was even more impressive when he said postgame that he was a gametime decision, describing himself as "not healthy at all" but he powered well through being banged up.
Marks totaled 14 carries for 76 yards and one touchdown, also reeling in one pass for seven yards.
