2022 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team American college football season
The 2022 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The Bulldogs played their home games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi , and compete in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by third-year head coach Mike Leach through the regular season, with Zach Arnett taking over for the team’s bowl appearance after Leach's death in December 2022.
In October 2022, 19-year-old freshman offensive lineman Samuel Westmoreland, from Tupelo, Mississippi , committed suicide.[ 1] Mississippi State honored Westmoreland with helmet stickers and by painting his initials and number on Scott Field.[ 2]
On December 11, Leach was hospitalized in critical condition, and Arnett was elevated to interim head coach.[ 3] [ 4] Practice for the Bulldogs ahead of the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl and recruiting, was scheduled to continue as normal.[ 5] Leach died in the evening of December 12, with Mississippi State announcing the news in a statement the following morning.[ 6] [ 7] Following the death of Leach, Arnett was made the permanent head coach.[ 8]
Schedule
Mississippi State and the SEC announced the 2022 football schedule on September 21, 2021.[ 9] [ 10]
Date Time Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance September 3 6:30 p.m. Memphis * ESPNU W 49–2354,360
September 10 10:00 p.m. at Arizona * FS1 W 39–1746,275
September 17 5:00 p.m. at LSU ESPN L 16–3198,520
September 24 11:00 a.m. Bowling Green * Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS SECN W 45–1448,376
October 1 3:00 p.m. No. 17 Texas A&M Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS SECN W 42–2451,930
October 8 11:00 a.m. Arkansas No. 23 SECN W 40–1757,849
October 15 6:30 p.m. at No. 22 Kentucky No. 16 SECN L 17–2761,451
October 22 6:00 p.m. at No. 6 Alabama No. 24 ESPN L 6–30100,077
November 5 6:30 p.m. Auburn Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS ESPN2 W 39–33 OT 57,769
November 12 6:00 p.m. No. 1 Georgia Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS ESPN L 19–4560,352
November 19 11:00 a.m. East Tennessee State * Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS ESPN+ /SECN+W 56–749,117
6:00 p.m. at No. 20 Ole Miss ESPN W 24–2262,487
11:00 a.m. vs. Illinois * No. 22 ESPN2 W 19–1035,797
Rankings
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes Week Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Final AP RV RV RV — — 23 16 24 RV RV RV — RV 25 24 20 Coaches RV RV RV RV RV 23 17 24 RV RV RV — RV 25 23 19 CFP Not released — — — — 24 22 Not released
Coaching staff
Players drafted into the NFL
References
^ "Live like Sam Westmoreland: Family recounts legacy of Mississippi State football player" . The Clarion-Ledger .
^ Hunte, Sydney (November 5, 2022). "Mississippi State to honor deceased OL Sam Westmoreland with number painted on field" . Saturday Down South . Retrieved November 23, 2024 .
^ Sallee, Barrett (December 12, 2022). "Mississippi State coach Mike Leach hospitalized in 'critical condition' with 'personal health issue' " . CBS Sports . Retrieved December 12, 2022 .
^ "Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach still in critical condition" . ESPN. December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022 .
^ Smith, Danny (December 11, 2022). "MSU head football coach Leach taken to hospital" . Starkville Daily News. Retrieved December 12, 2022 .
^ "MSU Bulldog family, college football community mourns the death of Coach Mike Leach" .
^ "Mississippi State coach Mike Leach dies after hospitalization" . ESPN. December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022 .
^ "Zach Arnett promoted to Bulldog head coach (Updated)" .
^ Andy Kostka (September 21, 2021). "Here's Mississippi State football's 2022 schedule, from opener to Egg Bowl" . The Clarion-Ledger . Retrieved December 6, 2021 .
^ Theo DeRosa (September 21, 2021). "2022 Mississippi State football schedule released" . The Commercial Dispatch . Retrieved December 6, 2021 .
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