Mississippi State Football: Reviewing the 2022 Season

Looking back at Mississippi State football's 2022 season.

2022 was a wild and emotional year for Mississippi State football.

The Bulldogs took a step up from their previous season, moving to a 9-4 record, including 4-4 in SEC play. They also beat Ole Miss in their annual Egg Bowl rivalry game and reached its 13th straight bowl game. In addition, the Bulldogs will finish at No. 20 in the final AP Top 25 poll.

However, the Bulldogs suffered two losses this season: their freshman offensive lineman Sam Westmoreland and their head coach and leader Mike Leach, which were heartbreaking losses to both the Mississippi State and college football communities.

After Leach's passing, the Bulldogs quickly named their defensive coordinator Zach Arnett the school's new head coach, leading them to an emotional 19-10 victory over Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl, capping off Leach's legacy and concluding their season with optimism for the future.

With the offseason now upon us, let's take a look back at everything that happened this season and what stood out.

Reviewing the Offense

The offense had its struggles but it also produced big numbers. Thanks to the Air Raid, the Bulldogs averaged 31.62 points per game and totaled 4,046 passing yards, compared to 1,062 rushing yards.

Taking command at center was Bulldog quarterback Will Rogers, who would finish ninth in the nation in passing yards (3,974) and will finish the season with a 68.0% completion percentage, 35 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He broke Aaron Murray's record for career completions in the SEC.

Despite the numbers, he also showed inconsistency at times, including some costly turnovers in games like the Egg Bowl vs Ole Miss and in the ReliaQuest Bowl vs Illinois. HIs lack of pocket awareness sometimes hurt the offense, but he nevertheless got the job done.

Another standout player in the offense was wide receiver Tulu Griffin, who was named a FWAA All-American, and SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Auburn, where he achieved a 92-yard kick return for a touchdown.

While the offense was flawed at times, it was also explosive, with Leach writing his name into Mississippi State record books.

Reviewing the Defense

After their collapse against LSU at Baton Rouge, Zach Arnett's defense became very disciplined and helped win a lot of close games that the Bulldogs otherwise would have lost.

Against Arkansas, they made a lot of crucial stops, holding the Razorbacks to 8-16 on third down and 0-3 on fourth down, including at the goal line.

Against Ole Miss, the limited the Rebels to a season-low 331 total offensive yards, including 74 rushing yards, despite the Rebels' explosive running game.

An immediate standout from the Bulldog defense is cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. He broke the FBS record for pick-sixes, achieving six of them, and reached 14 career interceptions, with led FBS in active career interceptions. He was named a second team All-American by the Associated Press.

Other standout players on the defense were Bulldog linebackers Nathaniel Watson and Jett Johnson, who were a powerful duo on the field, with Johnson receiving a fumble against Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl, while Watson recorded an interception and five sacks.

Overall, the Bulldogs' defense helped carry the team to victory in a lot of cases, and with a handful of player returning, it will be interesting to see what new defensive coordinator Matt Brock utilizes to his advantage.

The End of a Era

The loss of Mike Leach was a devastating blow to everyone who knew him as well as to the players, staff, and fans.

With this season, it is important to note that he will be going out as a winner. He led the Bulldogs to their first nine-win season since 2017, with victories over Ole Miss and his a victory in his legacy game in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Although there will be other coaches that come and go, there will never be another Mike Leach.

With Zach Arnett now at the helm of head coach, who he hires to his new coaching staff will be key to the future success of the team. He has the resources needed to build his new group to help lead the Bulldogs while honoring what Mike Leach left behind.

It won't be the same without Mike Leach on the sidelines, but Bulldogs fans can rest assured that their football program is in good hands.