2022 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
2022 Mississippi State Bulldogs football | |
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ReliaQuest Bowl champion | |
ReliaQuest Bowl, W 19–10 vs. Illinois | |
Conference | Southeastern Conference |
Western Division | |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 19 |
AP | No. 20 |
Record | 9–4 (4–4 SEC) |
Head coach |
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Offensive scheme | Air Raid |
Defensive coordinator | Zach Arnett (3rd season) |
Base defense | 3–3–5 |
Home stadium | Davis Wade Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 1 Georgia xy$#^ | 8 | – | 0 | 15 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 6 Tennessee | 6 | – | 2 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 23 South Carolina | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kentucky | 3 | – | 5 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Missouri | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vanderbilt | 2 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 16 LSU xy | 6 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 5 Alabama x | 6 | – | 2 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 20 Mississippi State | 4 | – | 4 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ole Miss | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arkansas | 3 | – | 5 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Auburn | 2 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Texas A&M | 2 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: Georgia 50, LSU 30 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2022 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi, and compete in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by third-year head coach Mike Leach through the regular season, with Zach Arnett taking over for the team’s bowl appearance after Leach's death in December 2022.
In October 2022, 19-year-old freshman offensive lineman Samuel Westmoreland, from Tupelo, Mississippi, committed suicide.[1] Mississippi State honored Westmoreland with helmet stickers and by painting his initials and number on Scott Field.[2]
On December 11, Leach was hospitalized in critical condition, and Arnett was elevated to interim head coach.[3][4] Practice for the Bulldogs ahead of the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl and recruiting, was scheduled to continue as normal.[5] Leach died in the evening of December 12, with Mississippi State announcing the news in a statement the following morning.[6][7] Following the death of Leach, Arnett was made the permanent head coach.[8]
Schedule
Mississippi State and the SEC announced the 2022 football schedule on September 21, 2021.[9][10]
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 3 | 6:30 p.m. | Memphis* | ESPNU | W 49–23 | 54,360 | ||
September 10 | 10:00 p.m. | at Arizona* | FS1 | W 39–17 | 46,275 | ||
September 17 | 5:00 p.m. | at LSU | ESPN | L 16–31 | 98,520 | ||
September 24 | 11:00 a.m. | Bowling Green* |
| SECN | W 45–14 | 48,376 | |
October 1 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 17 Texas A&M |
| SECN | W 42–24 | 51,930 | |
October 8 | 11:00 a.m. | Arkansas![]() | No. 23 |
| SECN | W 40–17 | 57,849 |
October 15 | 6:30 p.m. | at No. 22 Kentucky | No. 16 | SECN | L 17–27 | 61,451 | |
October 22 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 6 Alabama | No. 24 | ESPN | L 6–30 | 100,077 | |
November 5 | 6:30 p.m. | Auburn |
| ESPN2 | W 39–33 OT | 57,769 | |
November 12 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 1 Georgia |
| ESPN | L 19–45 | 60,352 | |
November 19 | 11:00 a.m. | East Tennessee State* |
| ESPN+/SECN+ | W 56–7 | 49,117 | |
November 24 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 20 Ole Miss | ESPN | W 24–22 | 62,487 | ||
January 2, 2023 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. Illinois* | No. 22 | ESPN2 | W 19–10 | 35,797 | |
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Rankings
Week | ||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
AP | RV | RV | RV | — | — | 23 | 16 | 24 | RV | RV | RV | — | RV | 25 | 24 | 20 |
Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 17 | 24 | RV | RV | RV | — | RV | 25 | 23 | 19 |
CFP | Not released | — | — | — | — | 24 | 22 | Not released |
Coaching staff
Name | Position |
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Mike Leach | Head coach (regular season) |
Tony Hughes | Associate head coach & nickelbacks coach |
Zach Arnett | Head Coach (bowl game), defensive coordinator & linebackers coach |
Matt Brock | Special teams coordinator & outside linebackers coach |
Darcel McBath | Cornerbacks coach |
Eric Mele | Running backs coach |
Mason Miller | Offensive line coach |
Dave Nichol | Inside receivers coach |
Jeff Phelps | Defensive line coach |
Steve Spurrier Jr. | Outside receivers coach |
Jason Washington | Safeties coach |
Tyson Brown | Head strength and conditioning coach |
Players drafted into the NFL
Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
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1 | 16 | Emmanuel Forbes | CB | Washington Commanders |
4 | 123 | Cameron Young | DT | Seattle Seahawks |
References
- ^ "Live like Sam Westmoreland: Family recounts legacy of Mississippi State football player". The Clarion-Ledger.
- ^ "Mississippi State to honor deceased OL Sam Westmoreland with number painted on field". Saturday Down South.
- ^ Sallee, Barrett (December 12, 2022). "Mississippi State coach Mike Leach hospitalized in 'critical condition' with 'personal health issue'". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ "Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach still in critical condition". ESPN. December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Danny (December 11, 2022). "MSU head football coach Leach taken to hospital". Starkville Daily News. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ "MSU Bulldog family, college football community mourns the death of Coach Mike Leach".
- ^ "Mississippi State coach Mike Leach dies after hospitalization". ESPN. December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ "Zach Arnett promoted to Bulldog head coach (Updated)".
- ^ Andy Kostka (September 21, 2021). "Here's Mississippi State football's 2022 schedule, from opener to Egg Bowl". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ Theo DeRosa (September 21, 2021). "2022 Mississippi State football schedule released". The Commercial Dispatch. Retrieved December 6, 2021.