TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Mississippi Condition players and staff members felt they understood what Mike Leach would want them to do next the Dec. 12 loss of life of the Bulldogs coach owing to complications from a coronary heart condition: participate in in the ReliaQuest Bowl versus Illinois.
“It has been expressed and they realize that we are undertaking exactly what Mentor Leach would want of us,” mentioned Zach Arnett, who was promoted from defensive coordinator to head mentor 3 times immediately after the demise.
“And that is to end this year off, to stay focused on the sport, to put in the get the job done and put together,” Arnett extra. “There is no much better way for us to honor him and exhibit our respect for him and his family than to go out there and enjoy a complete video game and compete like he would expect us to.”
Mississippi Point out quarterback Will Rogers is amongst a group of workforce leaders that have taken on additional roles for the 24th-ranked Bulldogs (8-4, No. 22 CFP) foremost up to the matchup Monday with Illinois (8-4).
“We’ve obtained great men in our application,” Arnett explained. “Those guys have possibly experienced a increased affect on our locker home and our strategy and our resiliency absolutely than myself or any just one coach.”
Rogers, who finished 386 of 566 passes for 3,713 yards and 34 touchdowns, faces an Illinois protection that allowed fewer than 10 factors in 6 video games this year.
Illinois misplaced all 4 of its game titles by 8 details or much less, including a 19-17 reduction to Michigan. This is just its third bowl recreation due to the fact beating UCLA 20-14 in the 2011 Kraft Combat Hunger Bowl.
“We’ve acquired this detail heading, suitable?” Illinois coach Bret Bielema explained. “It’s beginning to go, correct? We’ve just received to make confident we keep placing the ideal gas in the tank. Hold acquiring checkups and routine maintenance on our trip as we get rolling.”
Illinois will be devoid of working again Chase Brown. The nation’s 2nd-main rusher in the normal year (1,643 yards) has made a decision to enter the NFL draft and will not play in the match.
Illinois quarterback Tommy DeVito finished 69.9% of his passes (234 of 335) for the third-best completion proportion nationally for the duration of the common period. He threw for 2,397 yards and 15 touchdowns and had 4 interceptions.
Mississippi State has a streak of taking part in in a bowl match for 13 straight decades, although none in advance of was like this just one.
“A bowl recreation is a reward for their year’s worth of tricky get the job done and results this period,” Arnett said. “They absolutely should have this chance.”
HOMECOMING
Bielema’s spouse, Jen, is from Tampa and was born at St. Joseph’s Medical center, which is a lot less than two miles from the match website. She attended the University of South Florida in Tampa.
“I come property each individual once in a whilst and she’s got a person of all those rag-tag sweatshirts even now on,” Bielema explained. “So, to be likely to Tampa and all around a whole lot of her household and mates will be very, quite big this time of calendar year for us personally.”
Previous TIMER
Illinois OL Alex Palczewski is established to make his 65th occupation begin in the match, which would tie Appalachian State WR Thomas Hennigan (2017-21) for the most in NCAA background. He will be a part of Moe Gardner (1989-90) as the only Illinois gamers to be a captain in two bowl game titles.
UP Subsequent
Illinois: Opens next year at dwelling against Toledo on Sept. 2
Mississippi Point out: Hosts Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 2.
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