Mississippi State put forth a strong showing on both sides of the ball, all to the tune of a 45-6 victory over Vanderbilt in The Music City Saturday night.
Bulldog quarterback Will Rogers set a new career high with 4 touchdown passes and the State defense limited Vandy to just 155 yards of offense on the way to the win. Rogers finished with 386 yards of passing. His four scores were not only a single-game career best, but tied him for 5th-most in a single game in MSU history.
A total of 13 different Bulldogs caught passes from Rogers. Jaden Walley had a team-high 72 yards of receiving. Makai Polk added 63 yards and had a pair of touchdown catches. Malik Heath, Rufus Harvey and Rara Thomas also found paydirt, with the scores by Harvey and Thomas being the first touchdowns of their careers. Dillon Johnson and Jo’quavious Marks led State on the ground. Johnson had 34 yards rushing, while Marks had 33 yards and a touchdown. Overall, MSU’s offense racked up 524 total yards.
Meanwhile the State defense was as stingy as it has been all year long. The Bulldogs gave up just 146 yards through the air and only 9 on the ground. Vanderbilt averaged 3.7 yards per play, including a miniscule 0.5 yards per rush.
Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach, along with several players, talked about the win after the game. Video is courtesy of Hail State Athletics.