Takeaways: Reflecting on Mississippi State's Spring Game

What to expect for the fall and what the team still think needs work in order to be prepared for the upcoming season.

Mississippi State football has been hard at work to make improvements as it transitions into a new era ahead of the 2023 season -- something that was quite evident during the team's spring game over the weekend.

What the Bulldogs showed as a full unit on the field and what was said between quarterback Will Rogers and head coach Zach Arnett and others postgame fully reflected that this team is on the same page despite all of the changes.

When asked about the challenges of spring practices, wide receiver Zavion Thomas addressed his thoughts about the teams' progression on offense.

"Just understanding the concepts more rather than the first day, just understanding what route we've got, what routes just like understanding everything."

Overall, the team itself had a lot of focus on the offense. Having a head coach like Arnett experienced on defensive focus has brought about a lot of questions and intrigue surrounding just what this offense will be moving forward.

"Now, instead of just watching the defensive film, after practice, I got to watch all three phases, so it takes a little longer to evaluate," Arnett said.

One thing that helps, though, is having an experienced quarterback on that side of the ball.

Will Rogers is entering his senior year playing as a Bulldog. A lot of emotion and drive comes from making the best out of his last year in college, and he's not concerned about the knocks that surround him transitioning to a new system. 

"Man, it's just football," he said, "I've been playing football for a long time. So I feel like I can do anything that the coach needs me to."

The team's offense on the day consisted largely of short passes and running plays of only a few yards. As is typical during these types of games that are more of scrimmages than anything else, tackling was light only to keep the receivers and running backs from potential injuries.

"We're all learning a new scheme," Rogers said. "So you know I have to be the one up there before everyone else and I have to know the playbook."

It will be interesting to see how things play out with a very new looking Mississippi State in 2023.