Mike Leach Was ‘Up There Smiling’ After Mississippi State’s Bowl Win

With the clock ticking down on a warm afternoon in Tampa and the game tied, Simeon Price ripped off the longest run of his brief career.

On third-and-eight, the Mississippi State running back tore through the Illinois defense for a 28-yard gain to the two. That set up Massimo Biscardi’s 27-yard field goal with four seconds remaining in the game to give the Bulldogs a 13-10 lead in what was a 19-10 win over the Fighting Illini in Monday’s Reliaquest Bowl.

“I got a little emotional after the big run,” said Price, who had 48 of his 68 yards on the decisive drive.

It has been an emotional three weeks in Starkville and throughout college football since the passing of coach Mike Leach on December 12.

There were several remembrances to the beloved coach throughout Raymond James Stadium. “Mike” was in red letters between the 20- and 30-yard lines on the Bulldogs’ side of the field. A photo and flowers were on the pirate ship in the north end zone, and the Mississippi State band spelled “Leach” during its pregame performance.

With a pirate flag decal on one side of their helmets, the Bulldogs lined up in the Air Raid formation prior to the game’s first play from scrimmage. Prearranged with Illinois, which declined the penalty, it was another way to honor the late coach, who was 61 when his life was taken due to complications stemming from a heart condition.

Flags honoring Leach draped on the wall behind the Mississippi State sideline, a few with “Swing Your Sword,” the title of the coach’s 2011 autobiography.

The Bulldogs swung their sword. There was no better way to honor their coach then coming through when it mattered most in capping a nine-win season.

“He was with us all game,” said Price, who entered the final game of his redshirt freshman season with 82 career rushing yards. “I just knew he would be proud of the team, what we did in this game, how we executed, how it came down to the wire and we did what we were supposed to do. It was in the back of our heads the whole time to swing our sword, so I know he is up there smiling.”

Leach spent most of his last 23 years as a head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State, where he arrived nearly three years ago (Jan. 9, 2020) to the day of Monday’s game.

Zach Arnett, who served as Leach’s defensive coordinator and was elevated to head coach, led the Bulldogs through a difficult time.

“Obviously, coach Leach has been leading this program for three years, and he was out there leading us today,” he said. “I think all (of the players) listened to the teachings of coach Leach over the last three years, and they came in handy over the last several weeks.”

Quarterback Will Rogers was recruited by Leach and they spent three years together. The school’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes led his team out of the tunnel while carrying a flag honoring the coach.

“Coach and myself were pretty close and to be able to come out here and to play a game without him, I would be lying if I said it wasn’t tough,” he said. “I am going to miss him and for me to be the one to run out with the flag was an honor.”

It was Rogers’ eight-yard touchdown pass to Justin Robinson, the bowl’s MVP, six seconds into the fourth quarter that tied the game at 10. It was a breakthrough in an otherwise rough day for the Bulldogs’ offense. The bottom line, though, is Rogers and his teammates got it done when they had to.

“To grit out a win was huge,” he said. “It says a lot about our players, a lot about our university.”

Arnett preferred to deflect attention away from his outstanding work in bringing the team together. Rather, he pointed to the players who rallied around each other, went to work, and won a bowl game.

“Obviously, anytime something tragic happens, it’s best to go through it with those who you’re closest to,” he said. “That’s what the football team is, that’s what the locker room is. It’s family. It was a good opportunity for us to get together the last few weeks and pour ourselves into this (bowl) preparation.”