Will Rogers sets historic Mississippi State passing records
Will Rogers officially holds two Mississippi State passing records. In the Bulldogs’ dominant win over the quarterback finished with 391 yards and five touchdowns.
Those numbers push him to 4,113 yards and 34 touchdowns on the season, both Mississippi State single-season records. He surpasses Dak Prescott, who previously set both records in 2015 (3,793 yards and 29 touchdowns). Although Bryce Young and Matt Corral might get most of the recognition, it is Rogers who leads the SEC in passing yardage.
To be fair, his stats might be a bit inflated. Under coach Mike Leach, the Bulldogs are one of the most pass-happy teams in the country. They average 54.6 passing attempts per game, a full 18 more than Missouri, the team with the second-most in the SEC.
Nonetheless, it is an incredible accomplishment for Rogers, who is only a sophomore. He started six games for Mississippi State as a true freshman, taking over for KJ Costello down the stretch in 2020.
With two years left to play, it might not be long before Rogers begins to eye career records. He currently ranks fourth in school history with 6,090, a little more than 3,000 yards behind Prescott, who sits in first place. His 45 touchdown passes already rank third, as Prescott (70) also owns the lead in that category.
The Bulldogs held Tennessee State scoreless through the first three quarters, taking a 49-0 lead into the final stanza. Rogers scored all five of his touchdowns in that span as a field goal finally got the Tigers on the board with 11:19 to play.
The victory improved Mississippi State to 7-4 on the year as they prepare to find out where they will be bowling at the end of the year. The Bulldogs close the season with an Egg Bowl rivalry game against Ole Miss at 7:30 p.m. ET next Saturday in Starkville.
With two more games to go, Will Rogers will look to make his new passing records even harder to beat before the season comes to a close.