Mississippi State cruised to a commanding 48-7 victory vs. visiting SE Louisiana in Week 1 at Davis Wade Stadium.

It was a strong 2023 debut for Bulldogs head coach Zach Arnett, who is supplanting the late Mike Leach. 

Mississippi State led 3-0 through the first quarter but then ramped up to go ahead 20-7 at halftime. The Bulldogs then seized control with a 28-0 second half shutout of the FCS program. 

While this was against an FCS opponent, it’s an encouraging start for a Bulldogs squad that will have to go through the vicious gauntlet of the SEC West.

Player of the Week: RB Jo’Quavious Marks

The senior Marks was certainly on the mark with 127 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, while also catching 4 passes for 59 yards. This is the first instance of a Mississippi State running back eclipsing 100 rushing yards in a game since 2019.

The 5-foot-10, 210-pound Marks scored his first touchdown on a 1-yard run with 13:46 left in the 2nd quarter to extend Mississippi State’s lead to 10-0. Marks collected his other touchdown courtesy of a 6-yard score with 9:20 to go in the game as Mississippi State went ahead 41-7.

This is a strong first impression for Marks this season considering the most yards he rushed for in a game in 2022 was 76 in the Egg Bowl at Ole Miss. Marks taking a step forward as a rusher in addition to his pass catching abilities would be a valuable asset for the Bulldogs.

Freshman of the week: WR Creed Whittemore

Creed Whittemore dazzled in his Mississippi State debut. The freshman wide receiver tallied 4 receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 57 yards and a score on 2 carries.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound newcomer from Gainesville, Florida made the most of his opportunity for extended reps with sophomore wide receiver Zavion Thomas still dealing with an offseason injury.

Whittemore reached the end zone for the first time in his career on a 33-yard reception from quarterback Will Rogers with 1:29 left before halftime to give the Bulldogs a 17-7 lead. The shifty Whittemore capped off the scoring with a 53-yard rushing touchdown on a jet sweep at the 5:19 mark in the 4th quarter.

Biggest surprise: Kicker Kyle Ferrie taking the reigns

Freshman kicker Kyle Ferrie definitely put his best foot forward in his first college game. Ferrie won the job in camp and then solidified the staff’s belief with by converting both of his field goals and all 6 of his extra point attempts.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Ferrie showed no early signs of nerves, as he got the Bulldogs on the board with a 47-yard field goal with 5:07 left in the 1st quarter. The Searcy, Arkansas native then showed his poise by drilling a 49-yard field goal despite being iced, as time expired in the first half.

Biggest concern: Stagnant offensive starts in first and second half

Mississippi State got off to a slow start offensively in both the first half and second half of its season opener.

The Bulldogs were forced to punt on their first 2 drives of the game. Then on the 3rd drive, SE Louisiana held Mississippi State to a field goal. To start the 2nd half, Mississippi State’s drive spanned 11 plays but resulted in a turnover on downs after an incomplete pass on 4th down.

Developing trend: Mike Wright’s rushing ability

Vanderbilt transfer quarterback Mike Wright flashed his explosiveness without throwing a pass.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior was a tremendous second punch in the rushing game behind Marks, as he tallied 95 yards on 5 carries. Wright showcased his dynamic speed with a 53-yard run in the second half to aid a touchdown drive. Wright looked particularly dangerous when utilized in the Wildcat formation.

Key stat: Squeaky clean game

In Week 1, Mississippi State played about as clean of a game as you can. The Bulldogs only had 1 penalty, which is the fewest by the program since Oct. 6, 2018, vs. Auburn. Meanwhile, Mississippi State had no turnovers on offense through 29 passes and 39 rushing attempts.

For comparison, Mississippi State averaged 60.77 penalty yards per game last season. Rogers only tossed 8 interceptions last season, so this is a good example that he’s still able to protect the ball.

First impression about Week 2

Mississippi State will get a major step up in talent for its Week 2 matchup against visiting Arizona. This will be a rematch of the lone previous meeting between the programs in which Mississippi State won 39-17 at Arizona.

The Wildcats hammered the North Arizona Lumberjacks 38-3 in their season opener. In order to defeat the Wildcats for a second straight season, Mississippi State’s defense will have to corral Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura, who collected 4 touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing) in the victory.

With the mass exodus of programs, the future of the Pac-12 is in doubt. However, the conference has gotten off to a strong start this season and Arizona will be an excellent litmus test for Mississippi State.