Notebook: Leach reflects on 2020 win at LSU, addresses Mississippi State's inexperience

Sep. 20—STARKVILLE — Reflecting on last season's win at LSU is difficult for Mike Leach in a football sense, because of all that went into the SEC's first games amidst the pandemic.

"It was just such a swirl of what's happening all over the place," Leach said during his weekly press conference on Monday. "There was a point we didn't know if we'd play or not. Everybody was messing with this COVID stuff.

"That was still at the point where everybody loved saying 'COVID.' The newness hadn't worn off. They'd say 'COVID' five times just to get a good taste in their mouth."

Leach was entering his first season after a difficult offseason for his staff trying to implement their system at Mississippi State.

MSU walked out of Death Valley with a 44-34 win against the defending champs. But as Part 2 of the conference rivalry between Leach and Ed Orgeron looms this Saturday, Leach is wasting little time using last year's film.

Orgeron has revamped his defensive coaching staff, starting with the hiring of Daronte Jones in January to replace Bo Pelini.

MSU was able to gets it way last season against an LSU defense that threw a heavy amount of man coverage against Leach's Air Raid offense. It resulted in 623 passing yards from K.J. Costello on 60 throws.

"Kinda between the man and zone so far this year is 50-50," Leach said of this year's LSU defense.

LSU will be without arguably its best defensive lineman in Andre Anthony, who suffered a season-ending knee injury, Orgeron said during a press conference Monday.

Leach pushing team's mentality

Leach has critical of his team's toughness and willingness to relax in games it has a lead in such as Saturday's loss at Memphis or a near-loss against Louisiana Tech in Week 1.

Following Saturday's loss, Leach was asked what he would do to boost the team's morale. He responded by saying something needed to be boosted — perhaps not morale — and he'd figure out what that is heading into this week.

It appears that centers around creating belief despite inexperience.

"We are where we are, so we just have to try to improve every day and get better at it," Leach said. "Making these guys realize their potential, sometimes they don't fully appreciate where they are and where they've developed in the last year. We've gotta somehow create that vision with them a little bit."

Inexperience could be why Leach's team has looked over opponents in his eyes and slipped up in games against La. Tech and Memphis.

"That's the temptation of most teams," Leach said. "Really good ones develop the discipline and locker room mentality that they don't do that."

Rogers' inconsistency

Will Rogers had one of his better halves of a game in the first 30 minutes against Memphis.

He had 220 passing yards, led two touchdown drives, a field goal drive and helped his team overcome a 7-0 deficit off a Memphis defensive score.

As good as that first half was, his second half was just as uninspiring.

Rogers moved slowly through his progressions, struggled to create plays downfield and allowed Memphis to get back into the game despite a strong performance by MSU's defense.

"He did hit a period where he was inconsistent," Leach said. "We have to react quicker with the ball. It's not like avoiding sacks is to react quicker. Sometimes it is that, but we need to get the ball — as he goes through his progression —out as quickly as possible. Sometimes we're too slow."

Leach noted Rogers' youth in particular when discussing the team's inexperience, acknowledging that while Rogers has a major role he has only started nine games.

Rogers was aggressive against a Memphis prevent defense late and led a 65-yard drive in two plays, but Leach says those plays can also be made earlier in the game as long as Rogers keeps looking for cracks in schemes.

"There's just more to be had there," Leach said. "We have to attack it and get it. Some of it comes with the receivers and the linemen as well — everybody together."