Rogers, Heath accomplish firsts for State
A couple of Mississippi State Bulldogs accomplished firsts on one play against the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday afternoon.
Freshman quarterback Will Rogers entered the game with 8:39 remaining in the third quarter and it didn’t take long for him to throw his first touchdown pass at MSU.
The 32-yard connection with Malik Heath was not only the first scoring toss for
Rogers in his college career, but also the first touchdown reception for Heath with the Bulldogs.
Rogers also set an MSU record for completion percentage with a minimum of 15 attempts when he went 15-of-18 for 83.3%. The previous mark was held by John Bond, who was 13-of-16 for 81.3% on September 4, 1982 against Tulane.
“Will came in and did a great job,” Bulldog wide receiver Austin Williams said. “He upheld his part.”
There was also a first on the defensive side of the football when cornerback Emmanuel Forbes returned an interception for a 60-yard touchdown. It was his firstever score at State.
Rare blocked punt
The Bulldogs had a punt blocked in the second quarter of Saturday’s game and it doesn’t happen often to them.
It was the first time MSU had a punt blocked since 2017, ironically against Texas A&M.
Aggies get series edge
With the victory, the Aggies now own a 7-6 record in the all-time series against the Bulldogs.
Limited capacity
In following state and local guidelines, there continues to be a limited seating capacity for MSU home games.
Only 25% of Davis Wade Stadium was filled and the announced attendance was 13,142.