It took a lot longer than it should, but Mississippi State opened the 2022 campaign with a relatively easy win over Memphis, 49-23 at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville. The Bulldogs dominated the game but had to sit through a two-hour fourteen-minute lightning delay to get the win. State dominated every phase of the game, and a quick Memphis burst in the fourth quarter wasn’t enough to give the Tigers any chance on Saturday night.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
What a strike from @Wrogers__2 to @R_Harvey6!#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/V4LiJlY3gy
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) September 4, 2022
No surprise for it to be Will Rogers, who started off his season with another big night on the stat sheet. The Bulldog signal caller hit the Memphis secondary for 450 yards and 5 touchdowns. His only mistake was a first quarter interception that led to the opening points for the Tigers, but overall, it was another clean game for Rogers, who completed 78% of his passes. Rogers hit 12 different receivers, including 9 for more than 3 receptions.
DEFENSE DOMINANT
𝘿𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣' 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙏𝙮𝙥𝙚 𝙊𝙛 𝙒𝙖𝙮
✅ 29 yards of total offense allowed
✅ 27 passing yards allowed
✅ 2 rushing yards allowed#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/y5oI9NBedr
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) September 4, 2022
Mississippi State’s defense wilted late in the game, but the first three quarters were dominant. State swallowed up the Memphis rushing attack for the most part, and kept Tiger quarterback Seth Henigan under 200 yards passing. It looked like the visitors might never crack the Bulldog front, but some sloppy play late in the game got Memphis back into the game. A late fumble recovery by safety Shawn Preston sealed the victory for the Bulldogs.
WHAT’S NEXT?
1-0.#AZvsSDSU | #RiseWithUs pic.twitter.com/RQZWjW1N3j
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) September 3, 2022
Mississippi State travels to PAC-12 country for a late night (even later than this) encounter with a resurgent Arizona team, who won their opener over a quality San Diego State team. Kickoff is set for 10 PM central as Mike Leach returns to his former conference hoping to see his team go to 2-0 on the season.
