Leach makes progress in two years with Bulldogs
Some have questioned Mississippi State's move last week to reward head football coach Mike Leach with a twoyear contract extension.
Although the Bulldogs are still not completely satisfied where the program stands to this point under Leach's leadership, there has been progress in the two years he has been in Starkville.
Everyone needs to remember that Leach began his head coaching tenure at MSU under the toughest of circumstances. Only two months after he was hired, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic struck, which pretty much wiped out any organized spring practice. That was something desperately needed by the Bulldogs under a completely new coaching staff but they couldn't get on the field.
Despite having to adjust through a season where from one week to the next it was unclear if games would even be played, Leach still led MSU to four wins, including a bowl victory over Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Things became more normal in 2021, still not ideal, but the Bulldogs kept trending in the right direction.
MSU won the first two games of the season against Louisiana Tech and North Carolina State, then later picked up Southeastern Conference victories over Texas A&M, Kentucky, Auburn and Vanderbilt to finish with a winning record of 7-6.
Even though losses of 3121 to Ole Miss in Starkville and 34-7 to Texas Tech at the Liberty Bowl put a damper on the end of the season for the Bulldogs, they still entered spring practice encouraged about what's to come.
It won't be long before everyone starts finding out what that is.
Now that we are three days into July and Independence Day coming up on Monday, it's time to seriously start thinking about football season and what the possibilities are for teams. After all, it will only be two months when MSU takes the field at Davis Wade Stadium for the season opener against Memphis on September 3.
In just a few days, SEC coaches will travel to Atlanta for SEC Football Media Days and there will be quite a bit of talk about the upcoming season.
It will be interesting to see if Leach can build on the steps that the Bulldogs have taken and can possibly reach the 10-win mark in 2022.
With record-setting quarterback Will Rogers back for his third season as a starter, some talented receivers and an experienced backfield behind him, the offense has potential to be very dangerous. Former Starkville High School player Rufus Harvey could be a factor at receiver. Rogers bragged on the performance of Harvey in the spring. It's always good for this city to have a Yellow Jacket in the mix at MSU.
The defense will continue to be tough and aggressive for defensive coordinator Zach Arnett, who also got a contract extension. The Bulldogs are very aggressive out of the 3-3-5 scheme of Arnett's, but the key will be to fill the gaps and not let anything slip past them, especially in the secondary.
Once preseason practices begin in a few short weeks, roles will become more defined and the situation will become more clear.
Let the anticipation begin.
Danny P. Smith is the sports editor and columnist for The Starkville Daily News. The opinions in this column are his and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SDN or its staff.