Tag: Mike Leach

Late Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach had high praise for Emmanuel Forbes

Leach called Forbes one of the greatest players he ever coached.

Late Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach coached many outstanding football players over the years. During his final coaching stop at MSU, he coached cornerback Emmanuel Forbes.

While Leach was known for his offensive wizardry, he saw something special in the slight cornerback from Grenada, Mississippi.

Coming out of Grenada High School in 2020, the four-star cornerback was almost an immediate starter, playing every game for the Bulldogs and starting nine games. Forbes would finish his Mississippi State career playing in 36 games with 34 starts.

Forbes ended his three-year stint in Starkville by picking off 14 passes, including six of which he returned for touchdowns β€” an FBS record.

Despite all of his individual success, Forbes didn’t always receive the accolades he deserved. He wasn’t an All-American until 2022.

In 2022, a season in which Forbes was a consensus All-American, first-team All-SEC and had six interceptions and three pick-sixes, Forbes didn’t win the C Spire Conerly Trophy.

The Conerly Trophy is given annually to the top college football player in Mississippi. Past winners include Eli Manning, Patrick Willis, Dak Prescott, A.J. Brown and Jeffery Simmons. The 2022 award went to Ole Miss running back Quinshon Jenkins, and that didn’t sit well with Leach.

“I have great respect for the other finalists, but they didn’t rewrite the record books like Emmanuel Forbes,” Leach said via Jon Sokoloff of WCBI TV. “He is the ultimate competitor. One of the greatest players I’ve ever coached.”

Forbes would declare for the 2023 NFL draft shortly thereafter, and many believed he’d skip Mississippi State’s bowl game to prepare for the NFL combine. However, on Dec. 11, Leach suffered a heart attack and tragically died one day later.

Forbes and some of his teammates chose to play in the Bulldogs’ bowl game to honor their late coach.

Early indications are Washington head coach Ron Rivera is excited to coach Forbes after he was selected by the Commanders in the first round of last week’s 2023 NFL draft.

Former Georgia WR Justin Robinson named MVP of Mississippi State’s bowl win

Former UGA receiver Justin Robinson had a standout performance in Mississippi State’s bowl will over Illinois

Former Georgia receiver Justin Robinson had a standout performance in Mississippi State’s bowl win over Illinois. Robinson earned the MVP award of the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

The sophomore receiver had seven receptions for 81 yards and scored Mississippi State’s only offensive touchdown. The Bulldogs honored late head coach Mike Leach in their 19-10 victory over Illinois. Mississippi State finished the season 9-4.

Robinson, who transferred from Georgia following last season’s national championship, is playing more at Mississippi State. Robinson finishes the 2022 college football season with a career high in receptions, yardage and touchdowns. Robinson recorded 30 receptions, 326 receiving yards and three touchdowns this season.

Many fans were rooting for Mississippi State Bulldogs after Mike Leach tragically passed away.Β  Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Mississippi State throws the ball more than any other team in the country. Next year, Robinson is expected to have a larger role for the Bulldogs after star receiver Rara Thomas transferred to Georgia earlier this offseason.

Robinson, during his final year at the University of Georgia, finished the 2021 season with two catches for 18 yards and a touchdown. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound wide receiver is a former four-star recruit out of Eagles Landing Christian in McDonough, Georgia.

Robinson, who wears No. 18 for Mississippi State, was a notable piece of Georgia’s top-ranked class of 2020. Kirby Smart and Georgia football signed five receivers in the class of 2020. Jermaine Burton and Justin Robinson transferred after the national championship. Ladd McConkey, Arian Smith and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint remain with the Georgia football program.

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Mississippi State miraculously covered the spread against Illinois on a Raiders-esque lateral return to end the game

On a day the Bulldogs paid tribute to Mike Leach, their bettors were gifted a backdoor cover.

On a day the Mississippi State Bulldogs paid tribute to their late head coach Mike Leach with a special pirate helmet logo and bowl-opening delay of game, their bettors got a bit of supernatural help to cover a 3.5-point spread.

The favored Bulldogs trailed Illinois for almost the entirety of the ReliaQuest Bowl on Monday, finally taking a lead on a go-ahead field goal with four seconds left to seemingly clinch a three-point victory.

However, while they were on track to win, the field meant a cover was done. And that was bad news for the 64% of bettors who picked Mississippi State, according to Action Network. All that was left was for Illinois was to receive a kickoff and let the time expire after one play, at most.

That one play turned into a miracle cover for the Bulldogs.

Remember the New England Patriots’ embarrassing lateral failure against the Las Vegas Raiders a few weeks ago? Yeah, Illinois did the same thing.

After a few backward throws, the Bulldogs’ Marcus Banks scooped up the loose ball and ran it back 60 yards for the touchdown and a nine-point win.

Check on your friends who bet Illinois.

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Mississippi State pays tribute to Mike Leach with a bowl-opening delay of game

A touching gesture for the late head coach.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs opened the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa against Illinois with a penalty. For the first possession of the game, the MSU offense entered a typical Mike Leach air raid formation and waited as the play clock hit zero. Illinois declined the delay of game penalty as the familiar sound of Mississippi State cowbells clanged through the air.

It was a touching tribute to Leach, a college football giant and innovator. Leach’s passing stunned not only the Mississippi State community, but the entire world of college football.Β This was the first game the Bulldogs had played since their head coach passed suddenly on December 12 at the age of 61.

The delay of game penalty was just one of many tributes to the former head coach at the bowl game as MSU donned helmets emblazoned with pirate flags and the band played the theme from the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Leach was well-known to love pirate culture and stories.

A truly wonderful tribute to a fascinating and missed coach.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.Β 

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Mississippi State honors Mike Leach with special pirate flag helmets for bowl game

A beautiful tribute to Mike Leach.

We’ve seen several teams around college football using their uniforms to pay tribute to the late Mike Leach this bowl season, from UCLA to Alabama. Everyone expected Mississippi State to honor their departed head coach, who passed away unexpectedly in December, during their appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl and on the morning of the game, we finally got our first glimpse at what that will look like.

The Bulldogs will wear a special helmet design featuring a pirate flag bearing Leach’s initials, a tribute to Leach’s lifelong love for pirate culture. According to Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger, the helmets were kept secret from the team and not revealed until this morning as the players arrived at the stadium. The reaction to the helmets from fans and college football Twitter appears unanimously positive.

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Mississippi State honors Mike Leach ahead of ReliaQuest Bowl

The Mississippi State Bulldogs will play its first game following the passing of head coach Mike Leach on Monday.

College Football bowl season resumes Monday following a day off for the New Year’s Day holiday, with the most popular bowl of the day beginning at 11 a.m. CT.

All eyes will be in Tampa, Florida, as the Mississippi State Bulldogs face the Illinois Fighting Illini in the ReliaQuest Bowl, the game formerly known as the Outback Bowl. It will mark the first game for the Bulldogs since the passing of its head coach, Mike Leach.

Leach was a beloved figure not only in Starkville but around the SEC and College Football. In addition to being a founder of the Air Raid offense, he was also known for his humor and his love for people. Because of this, Mississippi State and the ReliaQuest Bowl are honoring him in several ways ahead of Monday’s game.

Mississippi State announced early Monday that they would honor the coach known as “The Pirate” with a special helmet decal.

The grounds crew at Raymond James Stadium also honored Leach by painting a logo on the field at the 25-yard line corresponding with the Mississippi State endzone. The “Famous Maroon Band” also paid homage to Leach during their pregame performance:

Mississippi State players elected to play in the ReliaQuest Bowl following Leach’s death on Dec. 12 in a way to honor Leach. Mississippi State interim athletic director Bucky Brett told ESPN’s Chris Low last month that β€œthe players are 100 percent behind playing this bowl game and doing what coach Leach would expect them to do.”

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Mississippi State with fantastic helmet tribute to Mike Leach

Mississippi State honored the late Mike Leach with an amazing helmet

Emotions were high on Monday as Mississippi State faced Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

This marked the first game for the Bulldogs since head coach Mike Leach died late last year.

Mississippi State went all out in paying tribute to its late coach.

The Bulldogs paid tribute before their first play.

LOOK: Alabama honors the passing of Mike Leach with helmet decal

Alabama to honor the late Mike Leach with a special helmet decal in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Gameday has arrived in New Orleans and [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide are on the verge of taking on the No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats.

Despite the joy and excitement of the Allstate Sugar Bowl matchup and the new year, coach Saban and the Alabama equipment staff took time to honor a fallen legend of the game.

Today, when you see Alabama take the field, the back of the historic crimson helmets will look a little bit different. Alabama has decided to put a simple new decal on their helmets to honor the passing of Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach.

Leach passed away on Dec. 12 and left a lasting impact on the game of football and all of the fans that enjoyed watching his air-raid attack.

Coach Saban has always had the utmost respect for coach Leach and this small gesture exemplifies just that.

Contact/Follow usΒ @RollTideWireΒ on Twitter, and like our page onΒ FacebookΒ to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

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Sooners to honor Mike Leach with helmet decal for Cheez-It Bowl

The Oklahoma Sooners will honor coaching legend Mike Leach during the Cheez-It Bowl with Pirate helmet decal

The college football world was stunned by the sudden passing of longtime coach Mike Leach. Though the majority of his career was spent as the head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State, his one year in Norman sent ripple effects through the Oklahoma Sooners and beyond.

His impact helped the Oklahoma Sooners land Josh Heupel to be the quarterback that ushered in the Bob Stoops era and launch the β€œair raid” into college football nomenclature.

But Mike Leach’s influence went beyond the X’s and O’s. Coaches and players, past and present, talked about the man he was as they mourned the loss of a legend who did things his way.

And as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Florida State Seminoles in the Cheez-It Bowl, the Sooners will don a pirate flag decal on the back of their helmets to honor Mike Leach.

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Contact/Follow usΒ @SoonersWireΒ on Twitter, and like our page onΒ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

USC grad assistant moves to Incarnate Word

If you are following the coaching carousel, you are noticing that Lincoln Riley and Mike Leach disciples are relocating to specific schools, Incarnate Word being one of them.

Conner McQueen joined the USC staff in January of 2022 as a graduate assistant working with the quarterbacks. He spent the previous two seasons (2020-21) at Oklahoma as an offensive analyst.

McQueen, 29, was a backup quarterback and a holder on placekicks at Texas A&M from 2012 to 2016.

McQueen was a backup to former Heisman Winner Johnny Manziel, plus quarterbacks Kenny Hill and Matt Joeckel. He also played with Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans and was coached by Kevin Sumlin, Jake Spavital and Kliff Kingsbury.

Clint Killough was hired as Incarnate Word’s head coach on December 15, 2022, to replace G.J Kinne after Kinne was hired as the head coach at Texas State.

You can see that a few programs are magnets for Lincoln Riley and Mike Leach disciples. North Texas, Washington State, and Incarnate Word are three of them. Eric Morris, previously at Washington State and Incarnate Word, recently was hired as head coach at North Texas. USC lost a staffer to North Texas. Now it is losing one to Incarnate Word. People with ties to either Riley or Leach — if not both — are circulating among a few programs, looking for the right fit and a catapult for their careers.

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