Bulldogs to showcase more experienced offense in spring game
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Apr. 17—STARKVILLE — Mississippi State's coaching staff is excited to give fans a look at an improved Air Raid offense today.
The Bulldogs are hosting their annual Maroon and White spring game today at Davis Wade Stadium at 11 a.m. The game is open to the public.
This will be the first spring game under head coach Mike Leach and his staff. Because of COVID, last season's spring season and summer camp was canceled and teams were unable to meet in person until fall camp started.
"Obviously this is a lot better than having missed all spring and all summer last year," receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. said. "Yeah, that was a challenge. Anyone that was a new staff that didn't get a chance to get around their players at all and just start playing in the SEC is always hard."
The Bulldogs used a "crash course" last fall to try and teach the players a simplified version of the Air Raid offense, and fans saw both Mississippi State break SEC single-game records and also be shut out using that offense last season.
Spurrier said part of that was because it's tough to criticize when you don't have a spring and you are coaching on the fly, and it's tough to coach because you have to toe a fine line between coaching and complimenting players so they are ready for the next week's game.
Having a spring allows the coaches to criticize and teach.
"The spring really gives you the opportunity to coach guys when they're wrong," Spurrier said. "You have to play harder. You have to play faster. You have to get to this depth. Spring has been great for that."
This spring has also been nice because the offense already has its starting quarterback.
Last year, both transfer KJ Costello and true freshman Will Rogers weren't able to start practicing with the team until fall camp, and their quarterback battle lasted until the week before the season opener.
Rogers served as the backup early in the season before taking over as the starter for the second half of the season. He went 3-3 in the games he started and has now had an entire offseason to continue meshing with the offense.
He's done that, and now Spurrier is excited for fans to see him on the field again.
"Having a team and having a quarterback that the team recognizes and as our quarterback and leader of our offense has means a lot," Spurrier said. "When Will takes the field, the ten guys that go with him are better with him out there. It's such a huge difference from last year."
