Devin Leary gets Do-Over at Mississippi State

The two quarterbacks that share the field Saturday in Starkville will have played the same opponent for different teams. The Big Blue Nation can’t forget that Mississippi State quarterback Mike Wright led a game-winning drive last year at Kroger Field, giving Vanderbilt its first SEC win in more than three years. People do forget that Devin Leary has previously taken a trip to Starkville.

Leary was not a household name when NC State made its first road trip of the 2021 season. He flashed the year prior, tossing four touchdowns and 300+ yards in a win over a top 25 Pitt, but had little to show for thanks to a season-ending injury. After cruising to an easy win in the opener against USF, he had something to prove against Mississippi State’s prolific Air Raid attack.

Leary did not survive cowbell hell.

The Wolfpack played from behind all night at Davis Wade Stadium. Miss. State’s Lideatrick Griffin returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Their problems were amplified when Leary was picked off on NC State’s second drive. Will Rogers had a pair of middle eight touchdown passes that put the game out of reach for NC State.

Leary threw almost 50 passes and ended the night with 303 yards on 30 completions. Sacked four times, he got a garbage time touchdown to make the final score a more respectable 24-10, but don’t be mistaken. Mississippi State completely owned the night.

Leary Needs to Hit Stride at Mississippi State

After that loss, the Wolfpack only experienced a similar feeling two more times that season, at Miami and at Wake Forest. Leary turned a corner in the final five games of the season when he threw for 300+ yards or four touchdowns in each game. Folks around the program believe the quarterback is ready to show Kentucky fans his best stuff.

“Dev is an older kid, but in this offense he’s just a true freshman,” wide receivers coach Scott Woodward said Tuesday. “It took him a couple games. Now he’s here, he’s rolling. Hopefully it can continue.”

It must start Saturday at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs’ pass defense ranks 90th in the FBS. The advanced stats are even worse, ranking 120th in success rate against the pass. Even though the numbers are bad, the 3-3-5 scheme can be a challenge to read. Hopefully, Leary and Coen’s experience pays off Saturday night in Starkville.

“It’s a paint in the butt. It is. It’s a pain in the butt,” Coen said about Mississippi State’s defense. “I have a lot of respect for those guys, what they’ve done defensively over the last few years, playing against them two years ago. It’s a tough, weird defense that you don’t see every week. It’s almost — just different structures every play.”

Give the gift of KSR. Purchase a gift membership for your favorite person for birthdays, holidays, or just because.