In or out? Mike Leach issues challenge to Mississippi State players who aren’t quite ‘on board’
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Mike Leach’s message to his players after Mississippi State’s loss to Kentucky? Either you’re in or you’re out.
The first-year Bulldogs coach hinted at a “purge” on Saturday, following a 24-2 defeat that saw K.J. Costello throw 4 interceptions and the Wildcats hold Mississippi State to 295 yards of total offense despite running 84 plays.
On Monday, Leach continued his thoughts, challenging players that he felt hadn’t demonstrated an all-in approach to what he was looking to accomplish in Starkville.
“I think we do have some fence riders that are trying to decide if they’re going to commit to what everybody is doing here,” he said, according to 247Sports. “Any time there’s a transition, there are a certain number of guys that are going to do the wait and see thing. Well, that’s too bad. The train rolls on. They need to jump on board really quick, or the train is going to roll on without them.”
One thing that pleased Leach was his team’s response after the loss, which he said pointed to its desire to work past its mistakes and get better as the season progresses.
“I don’t see a huge sense of frustration as much as a diligent determination to work hard and work smart,” he said.
Will things turn around? We’ll find out starting this weekend against Texas A&M.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
