Mississippi State’s listless performance for much of the Louisiana Tech game wasn’t lost on Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach.

After trailing 34-14 with more than 13 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, it seemed State was doomed for a loss. Instead the Bulldogs charged back in the fourth quarter to win 35-34. It was the biggest comeback victory in school history for Mississippi State.

“I didn’t know it was the biggest comeback so I’m glad we had it but that’s about the best thing I can say about it,” Leah said during a post-game interview. “I think the biggest thing that sparked the turnaround is they say that people make changes when they hit rock bottom. I thought our group hit rock bottom.”

Leach said his team looked ready to quit before showing off some moxie in the final quarter. Leach said that sparked the comeback.

“Funny things happen in sports,” Leach said.

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Leach seemed genuinely surprised that his team didn’t play better in the season opener on Saturday. He said the Bulldogs had a “great” offseason and preseason camp. Then, he eluded to recent player absences that State had to endure. As is often the case, Leach’s mind can be free flowing and sometimes a bit scattershot.

“In this case, nobody had a dental appointment or a study hall so we decided we were finally just going to play football and do the best we could,” Leach said. “It’s kind of explosive on all sides of the ball when you do that.”

Leach, who was hired before the 2020 season, said it was up to him and his coaches to make sure his team plays a complete game moving forward.

“We need to try to make 4 quarters look a little more like that fourth quarter did,” he said.

Mississippi State is scheduled to host North Carolina State this week.