Play The Next Play – Mississippi State

Football
September 11, 2022

Joel Coleman, Senior Writer

Win in the desert shows how Bulldogs can shake things off.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Talk about an unfortunate bounce.

It was early in the second quarter on Saturday night when Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers’ pass hit off the hands of wide receiver Caleb Ducking and went straight into the waiting arms of an Arizona defender. The Wildcats soon turned the interception into points when they hit a field goal to cut MSU’s lead down to 15-10.

And what was Rogers’ reaction to it all? What message did he pass along to Ducking?

“Who cares?” Rogers said he tells Ducking or any receiver that might make a mistake. “I’m about to throw the ball right to you again and you’ve got to go make a play.”

By now, you likely know the rest of the story. When Saturday’s game was complete, Ducking had led the Bulldogs with seven receptions to help fuel a 39-17 State win. He racked up 56 yards and scored two touchdowns, including a highlight-reel grab in the game’s closing minutes to ensure things were wrapped in Maroon and White.

Ducking made sure one hiccup didn’t define his evening. It was the perfect example of the type of resiliency that seems to permeate this year’s Bulldog team.

Play the next play. Spend only a few minutes around the MSU team on the sideline or at practice and you’ll almost assuredly hear those words uttered at some point.

But it’s not just some phrase that’d make for a good T-shirt. It’s a foundational component of head coach Mike Leach‘s group. No matter what just happened – good or bad – play the next play. The next play is…