TAMPA, Fla. — Mississippi State (9-4) rallied late in the fourth quarter to beat Illinois 19-10 in the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.
But the Bulldogs were playing for more than just the trophy — this was the team’s first game since the death of legendary head coach Mike Leach.
Quarterback Will Rogers took the field holding a maroon flag with the name “Mike.”
“Just miss him, going to miss him a lot,” Rogers said after the game. “To be able to run out with the flag. It’s an honor.”
Leach passed away on Dec. 12 from a heart condition, but there was never a question that their late coach would have wanted the team to play this game.
“It’s best to go through it with those you are closest to,” Zach Arnett, who took over head coaching duties, said. “That’s what a football team is; that’s what a locker room is. It was good to be together these last few weeks and pour over the preparation.”
To honor Leach, the team unveiled a special helmet decal to pay tribute to the coach’s famous “pirate” nickname.
“When we walked in, everyone was excited, fired us up even more than we already were,” linebacker Jett Johnson said. “It was a great tribute to coach Leach.”
It was also fitting that Mississippi State played this bowl game in the only stadium with an actual pirate ship in it. The team even placed a photo of Leach on the deck of the ship.
State went through a rough patch in the game. The Bulldogs trailed 10-3 at halftime until Rogers connected with Justin Robinson for a fourth-quarter touchdown to tie the game at 10
“We came out in the second half, and I was standing on the sideline, ‘what would coach tell me?,’” Rogers said. “He would tell me to play the next play. We had a better second half to put drives together to go win a game.”
MSU added a field goal and a wild touchdown on the final play of the game when Illinois was tossing desperation laterals. When the clock hit zeros, Arnett earned his first win as head coach.
“I’ll probably enjoy a nice beverage, one that Coach Leach and I have enjoyed together several times before,” he said. “I know there is a cowbell ringing down from heaven.”
