Mississippi State Football

Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach divulged Wednesday that his call for an open kicker tryout has generated a ton of interest.

According to Andy Kostka of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, Leach said about 40 students have expressed interest in taking part in the tryout, which is scheduled for "next week sometime."

After a 31-28 loss to Arkansas this past Saturday in which the Bulldogs missed three field goals, Leach announced his plans for an open tryout at the kicker position.

The kicking game has been the Achilles' heel for Mississippi State this season, as the Bulldogs have missed eight of their 17 field-goal attempts.

Senior Brandon Ruiz is 5-for-9 on the season with a long of 44, while freshman Nolan McCord is 4-for-8 with a long of 39.

On Saturday, Ruiz missed 23- and 46-yard attempts, and McCord missed from 40 yards out on a kick that would have forced overtime had it been good.

Ruiz, who began his college career at Arizona State, had been a solid kicker prior to this season.

He went 19-for-27 and 18-for-22 on field goals in his first two seasons with the Sun Devils, and he made 10 of his 12 attempts for Mississippi State last season.

Ruiz has missed some time because of injury this season, however, which could partially explain his dip in effectiveness. As a result, special teams coordinator Matt Brock said he is taking it "day-by-day" with Ruiz in terms of whether he will be available to kick field goals.

While Leach is keeping all of his options open at kicker, it seems likely Ruiz and McCord will be the top kicking options Saturday when the 5-4 Bulldogs face the 6-3 Auburn Tigers.

Mississippi State won't be able to add any new kickers to the roster until next week at the earliest ahead of the Nov. 20 game against Tennessee State.

Given the kicking conundrum, Leach could be more inclined to go for it in fourth-and-manageable situations Saturday, as the Bulldogs look to pull off a road upset against No. 17 Auburn.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs will be holding open tryouts for a new kicker following Saturday's 31-28 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks, a game in which Mike Leach's team missed three field goal attempts.

"There's an open tryout on our campus for kickers," the Mississippi State head coach said after the loss, per ESPN's Alex Scarborough. "Anybody that wants to kick or walk on and kick at Mississippi State, we'll hold a tryout any time you can get over there to our building, providing you're cleared by the NCAA."

Senior Brandon Ruiz and freshman Nolan McCord combined to go 0-of-3 on field goals in Saturday's loss. Ruiz missed from 23 and 46 yards, while McCord, who was given the opportunity to hit a game-tying field goal to reach overtime, missed from 40 yards. 

It's not surprising that Leach is disappointed in his kickers. The duo left nine points on the table, and if they hit at least two of their attempts they could have won the game. 

Ruiz entered Saturday's game 17-of-17 on extra points, but 5-of-7 on field goal attempts. He has yet to hit a 50-plus yard field goal this season, and has made just 2-of-9 from that range in his college career. 

McCord entered Saturday 8-of-8 on extra points and 4-of-7 on field goal attempts. 

While the kickers were ineffective against Arkansas, Leach also told reporters after the loss that the Bulldogs needed to do a better job on defense: 

"We just didn’t stop them," he said. "I thought their offensive line did a good job blocking us. I thought we needed to affect the quarterback more, and then when we did, we didn’t finish the deal. We’ve got to penetrate and create havoc back there. The other thing, we took our eyes off some guys."

Mississippi State's offense was the least of the team's concerns as quarterback Will Rogers completed 36-of-48 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns against one interception.

Saturday's loss dropped Mississippi State to 5-4 with three games left against No. 13 Auburn, unranked Tennessee State and No. 16 Ole Miss.  

Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach thinks a 12-team College Football Playoff is a good start. What would really get him fired up, however, is a playoff field that rivals the NCAA basketball tournament. 

Speaking at SEC media days Wednesday, Leach told reporters college football should go bigger.

"I think 12 teams is a huge step in the right direction," Leach said. "I personally would like to see 64, and you could map it out pretty easily."

It's an opinion not shared by many of Leach's contemporaries across college football. In fact, many of them believe opening up the CFP to 12 teams—up from the original four—is already going too far. 

"Our team isn't for it," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "They don't want to play more games. And to be honest with you, I don't know if there's 12 teams good enough. So you're going to play more games just to play more games. And I think the more you expand it, the less important the season becomes and the more you become the NFL, as far as all right, you're in the playoffs? Well, you know, why play Trevor [Lawrence] in this game if you're already in? All of a sudden you're not in the top 12 and kids just aren't playing."

Much to Swinney's chagrin, the College Football Playoff approved a feasibility study of a 12-team playoff field last month. The CFP board chairman who helped enact that step is none other than one of Leach's bosses at Mississippi State, school president Mark Keenum.

"Having given the management committee the charge to look into expansion, it is our duty to take their good work and ascertain whether it is feasible based on the feedback we receive," Keenum said in announcing the move. "I caution observers of our process not to rush to conclusions about what this board may decide. The working group has presented us a thorough and thoughtful proposal. There is more work to do, more listening to do and more information needed before we can make a decision. We look forward to hearing more and learning more in time for our next meeting in September."

That study likely won't include a sit-down with Leach to hear the coach's thoughts on expansion, but he's more than ready to provide them at a moment's notice. 

   

  

Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen has responded to the brawl that erupted after the Bulldogs' 28-26 win over Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl on Thursday. 

In a statement released by the school, Cohen said he is "deeply concerned about the actions of some student-athletes" and vowed the administration would work with head coach Mike Leach and the SEC office to review the situation:

Statement from Director of Athletics John Cohen: pic.twitter.com/Mpoc7Z2Pfi

— Mississippi State Athletics (@HailState) January 1, 2021

The situation appeared to begin at midfield when players from both teams began shoving each other during the postgame handshake. It eventually erupted into an all-out brawl that spilled over onto the sidelines and lasted several minutes. 

A massive brawl broke out at the end of the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl between Tulsa and Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/zfaq912SWU

— ESPN (@espn) December 31, 2020

Mississippi State wide receiver Malik Heath bragged on Instagram about kicking a Tulsa player on the ground. 

"MVP, MVP," Heath said, via Tyler Horka of the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger. "Yo, come here (expletive). Get your little (expletive) down. Go back. Watch how I slam him there. Watch how I slam him there, come here. Go back. Watch how I slam him.  

Leach told reporters after the game he wasn't sure what led to the altercation but said the "root of it's dumb, no matter what the root of it is."

Tulsa said in a statement on Thursday that it takes "this incident very seriously and will respond appropriately after the review is complete."

Mississippi State and No. 24 Tulsa got into a brawl after the Bulldogs' 28-26 win in the Armed Forces Bowl on Thursday. Bulldogs wide receiver Malik Heath was notably seen kicking Tulsa defensive back TieNeal Martin on the ground before running away. 

A massive brawl broke out at the end of the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl between Tulsa and Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/zfaq912SWU

— ESPN (@espn) December 31, 2020

Kicked a guy and then ran away pic.twitter.com/DZqY3zVy2x

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) December 31, 2020

Afterward, Heath praised himself on Instagram Live for his role in the fight (warning: video contains profanity):

Mississippi State junior WR Malik Heath bragging about kicking a player in the face (and then running away, by the way) will surely end up in some sort of punishment. Right, @SEC @NCAA ? https://t.co/LSfB7yxe4X

— Morgan Beard (@morganbeard) December 31, 2020

Heath, a junior, joined the program after transferring in from Copiah-Lincoln Community College before the 2020 season.

Steve Robertson of Genespage.com relayed how the fight seems to have begun:

Malik Heath others wave good bye to Tulsa players as they are escorted from the field. #50 puts his helmet on like he is going to charge the State players. Instead runs towards his coach. Who turns him around with minimal effort.

— Steve Robertson (@ScoutSteveR) December 31, 2020

Tulsa SR DB TieNeal Martin was one of the instigators to the fight. Ugly look for both teams. DeMonte Russell and Aaron Brule both threw punches Heath appeared to get a kick in on Martin.

— Steve Robertson (@ScoutSteveR) December 31, 2020

Tulsa safety Kendarin Ray also appeared to have been injured in the brawl:

Tulsa’s Kendarin Ray being helped off after being injured in the postgame brawl. pic.twitter.com/Ft90Ld3avu

— John E. Hoover 🌮 (@johnehoover) December 31, 2020

Tyler Horka of the Clarion-Ledger relayed comments from head coach Mike Leach regarding the fight.

"Mississippi State coach Mike Leach said he had not seen enough of the brawl to make decisions on potential disciplinary consequences he might have to enact for his players' involvement at the time of his post-game news conference," Horka wrote.

Leach also said that Tulsa players surrounded Mississippi State players during warmups. In addition, he said in his postgame interview with ESPN that his message to his team regarding the brawl would be, "Don't do it anymore."

Mississippi State finished its season with a 4-7 mark. Tulsa ended its 2020 campaign at 6-3.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs ended a disappointing season on a positive note Thursday, as they defeated the No. 24 Tulsa Golden Hurricane 28-26 in the Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. 

In a game that was primarily about defense and the running game, Mississippi State rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns, while averaging 4.6 yards per carry. That marked one of the best rushing performances of the season for head coach Mike Leach's team.

The Bulldogs also scored a 90-yard defensive touchdown on freshman cornerback Emmanuel Forbes' fifth interception and third pick-six of the season, which shifted the momentum in Mississippi State's favor in the third quarter.

With the win, Mississippi State will finish with a record of just 4-7 on the season, while Tulsa fell to 6-3. 

Notable Stats

Will Rogers, QB, MSU: 19/30 for 148 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT; 5 CAR for -9 YDS, 1 TD

Jo'Quavious Marks, RB, MSU: 11 CAR for 72 YDS, 1 TD; 4 REC for 30 YDS

Dillon Johnson, RB, MSU: 10 CAR for 57 YDS; 2 REC for 13 YDS

Zach Smith, QB, TUL: 26/46 for 347 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT

Corey Taylor II, RB, TUL: 20 CAR for 85 YDS, 1 TD; 1 REC for 5 YDS

Deneric Prince, RB, TUL: 8 CAR for 41 YDS, 1 TD

Keylon Stokes, WR, TUL: 9 REC for 117 YDS, 1 TD

JuanCarlos Santana, WR, TUL: 4 REC for 112 YDS

Running Game, Defense Spur Bulldogs to Victory

After struggling to find its identity for much of the season, Mississippi State discovered a winning formula in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Leach's Air Raid offense is famous for often requiring quarterbacks to throw in excess of 50 times per game, but the Bulldogs had a much different gameplan Thursday.

The weather may have forced Leach's hand in that regard, as it was cold, windy and rainy throughout, as seen in this photo courtesy of the Armed Forces Bowl:

According to this Hurricane fan, it’s rainy and windy out. Glad they are prepared pic.twitter.com/lAS5OuQ9As

— LM Armed Forces Bowl (@ArmedForcesBowl) December 31, 2020

In fact, the weather was so bad that Trey Mongrue of WLBT wondered how much the players and coaches even wanted to be there:

Seriously tho... how many #HailState and Tulsa players/coaches are wishing that they could be doing LITERALLY anything else right now?

— Trey Mongrue (@TreyMongrue) December 31, 2020

Mississippi State used the weather to its advantage, though, by deploying a rushing attack that was unheralded going into the game.

True freshman Jo'Quavious Marks led the way by averaging 6.5 yards per carry and rushing for the game's first touchdown just 1:19 into the contest.

Ben Portnoy of The Dispatch marveled at what Marks was able to do to the Tulsa defenders throughout Thursday's bowl game:

Jo'quavious Marks putting people on skates. My goodness.

— Ben Portnoy (@bportnoy15) December 31, 2020

The Armed Forces Bowl pointed out how often the Mississippi State running game was able to pick up sizable gains on the ground compared to the lack of success it had in terms of big running plays in its first 10 games of the season:

It's now four runs of at least 10 yards for @HailStateFB today. Had eight on season coming into @ArmedForcesBowl.

— LM Armed Forces Bowl (@ArmedForcesBowl) December 31, 2020

Running back Dillon Johnson was an effective complement to Marks as well, and quarterback Will Rogers even got in the act with a rushing touchdown in the third quarter that gave the Bulldogs a 14-6 lead.

Aside from the running game, Mississippi State benefited from some big plays by its improving defense.

The defense took a bend-but-don't-break approach in the Armed Forces Bowl, as the Golden Hurricane outgained the Bulldogs 484-277, but Mississippi State forced two key turnovers.

The first was a 90-yard pick-six by Forbes, which extended the Mississippi State lead to 21-13 and swung the momentum of the game.

Mississippi State secured a second interception at the goal line with 3:19 remaining when Tulsa was going in to try and cut the Bulldogs' lead to two.

It was far from an ideal season for Leach's squad, but things are looking up, as freshmen played a big role in the win, per Tyler Horka of the Clarion-Ledger:

Every Mississippi State touchdown has come from a true freshman today, but we shouldn't be surprised.

— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) December 31, 2020

The Bulldogs also became the first team with a losing record to win a bowl game since they accomplished the same feat in 2016, according to Yahoo Sports:

If Mississippi State wins the Armed Forces Bowl it will be the first team with a losing record to win a bowl game since … Mississippi State in 2016.

— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) December 31, 2020

Mississippi State took its lumps in Leach's first season at the helm, but the team clearly never quit on him, as it won a bowl game despite many suggesting the team didn't deserve to be there.

With so many freshmen contributing to the win, it could be a sign of bigger and better things to come for the Bulldogs in 2021 and beyond.

The SEC announced Monday the upcoming football game between Mississippi State and Auburn has been postponed and tentatively rescheduled for Dec. 12. The game was initially scheduled to take place Saturday in Starkville, Mississippi.

The news comes after Mississippi State shut down activities Monday amid an outbreak of positive COVID-19 tests, according to Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated.

Between positive tests and other quarantines due to contract tracing, Mississippi State reportedly didn't have the minimum amount of scholarship players available for a game, according to Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald.

There have been multiple coronavirus-related concerns Monday throughout the SEC, with LSU also having an outbreak that will keep several players out of its upcoming game against Alabama, per Alex Scarborough of ESPN.

Texas A&M paused activities Monday after multiple positive tests but expects to face Tennessee on Saturday.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman tested positive for COVID-19, although he is not symptomatic.

The postponement creates two weeks in a row without a game for Auburn, which most recently defeated LSU on Halloween to improve to 4-2. The Tigers usually close their regular season against rival Alabama, but they will now have two games in December against Texas A&M and Mississippi State.

Mississippi State had lost four games in a row before beating Vanderbilt on Saturday to improve to 2-4.

Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill has officially announced he is opting out of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL draft.

Hill announced the news Tuesday on Instagram:

Kylin Hill makes it official. He’s opting out and declaring for the draft. (Per his IG page) pic.twitter.com/Z3ToqZZrnp

— Alex Scarborough (@ByScarborough) November 3, 2020

There had been speculation that Hill was going to be leaving the Bulldogs, but neither he nor the football program confirmed it prior to today. 

Matt Zenitz of AL.com reported last week that Hill was going to opt out. Head coach Mike Leach told reporters on Monday that he hasn't heard anything new from his star running back. 

"I haven't heard anything from him," Leach said. "The last I heard is what I told you last time. I heard he was opting out. I haven't heard anything further and I haven't spoken with him."

Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger reported on Oct. 27 that Hill was suspended for an outburst after the Bulldogs' 24-2 loss against Kentucky.

Hill was named to the All-SEC First Team last season after running for 1,350 yards and 10 touchdowns in 13 games. He began this season with 158 receiving yards and one touchdown on eight catches in Mississippi State's 44-34 win over LSU.

Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill is expected to opt out of the rest of the football season, according to ESPN's Chris Low and Alex Scarborough.

Hill declared for the NFL draft last year but decided to return for his senior season before he signed with an agent. He has appeared in three games for the Bulldogs this season, with just 58 yards on 15 carries. 

The Mississippi native, who has also added 237 yards on 23 catches, missed the team's last game on Oct. 17 for undisclosed reasons, but 247Sports' Riley Gates reported that it was "believed to be a suspension." According to reports, he will begin preparing for the NFL draft.

https://twitter.com/H_Kylin/status/1217573521532116993

As a junior, Hill ran for 1,350 yards and 10 touchdowns on 242 carries. In addition to his first-team All-SEC nod, he was named the Conerly Trophy winner as the team MVP last season. He will close his career with 2,535 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, with 531 yards and six scores on 67 receptions. 

Over the summer, he tweeted that he would not play unless Mississippi removed Confederate imagery from its state flag. After the state legislature passed a bill to change the flag, Hill expressed his support on Twitter. 

Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill has reportedly been suspended for his team's game against Texas A&M on Saturday.

"Sources have informed Steve Robertson of GP247 that Hill is serving a team suspension," David H. Murray of 247Sports wrote. "This appears to be a one-week matter and arising from actions and reactions following Mississippi State's loss at Kentucky."

Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach spoke about Hill with ESPN's Dawn Davenport (h/t ESPN's Adam Rittenberg), saying: "He won't be dressed out; he won't be on the sideline. No other details."

The senior running back has gained 58 rushing yards on 15 carries this season in addition to 23 catches for 237 yards and a score. He amassed 1,530 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns last year.

Hill tweeted during the game in support of his teammates, praising the defense and notably retweeting a few pregame messages from Mississippi State football's Twitter account:

Defense real savages

— Kylin Hill (@H_Kylin) October 17, 2020

Jo'quavious Marks took over as the team's No. 1 running back. The freshman entered Saturday with 15 carries for 64 rushing yards and 14 catches for an additional 61 yards.

Losing Hill is a big blow to the Bulldogs' offense. Mississippi State opened the year with a 44-34 win over LSU but has struggled mightily ever since in a 21-14 home loss to Arkansas and a 24-2 defeat at Kentucky. Mississippi State's only points against UK were off a safety.

If Hill's reported suspension is only for one game, then he'll be greeted with a tough matchup upon his return when the Bulldogs visit No. 2 Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 31.