Mike Leach applauds Mississippi State's consistency, Will Rogers in blowout victory over Arkansas

Mike Leach wasn’t satisfied with his team’s play at halftime of Saturday’s game against Arkansas at halftime, but by the time the game ended the Mississippi State leader was more than happy.

To illustrate, the Bulldogs outscored the Razorbacks 19-7 in the second half, ending the day victorious by a score of 40-17. It was the complete showing that Leach was looking for, as he explained afterwards during his post-game interview.

“Arkansas is a really explosive team. We’re kind of explosive, but Arkansas was even more explosive than we were today, I thought. I thought we we’re a little more consistent,” stated Leach. “We hung in there, we had our fair share of adversity we created. I thought their quarterback did an extremely good job. … There was no breathers there. I was proud of our guys hanging in there, trying to get a complete game. … It can be tough when the other guys sometimes get those big plays in chunks.

“Sometimes people get discouraged, but we didn’t.”

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Continuing, Leach’s quarterback — Will Rogers — was fantastic yet again, completing 31 of 48 pass attempts for 395 passing yards and three touchdowns. Leach couldn’t say enough kind words about Rogers, who put up a tremendous performance against an SEC rival.

“First of all, he’s smart. Second of all, he studied film all the time. Third of all, he’s a tireless worker with his guys throwing in the off-season,” Leach added, revealed the secret to his quarterback’s success. “He’s a guy that even elevates the other side of the ball.”

Now, Mike Leach has Mississippi State at 5-1 on the season, bound to make a sizable jump up the rankings. However, the next two weeks will be tough for the Bulldogs, as they face Kentucky and Alabama in consecutive weeks. Still, if they somehow find a way to get two wins, a historic season could be in store for Mississippi State.

Meanwhile, a once promising Arkansas team has fallen to 3-3 amid a slew of injuries, with a date with BYU on the docket for next week. If the Razorbacks fall below .500, they may have to re-evaluate some things to get back on track.