STARKVILLE — Nobody is calling Mike Leach a defensive genius.
In eight years at Washington State, his defense finished in the bottom third of college football six times and concluded a year in the top 40 nationally in total defense just once. Despite that, he left Pullman as the second-winningest head coach in school history since World War II and boasts a career record of 139-90.
Riding an offense that perennially finishes among the nation’s best in passing yards and total offense, Leach’s teams haven’t needed to be great defensively to be effective. But now boasting a defense that surprised doubters in MSU’s season-opening upset of then-No. 6 LSU, his first team in Starkville could prove far more dangerous than initially believed.
“Our defensive line does a good job of that,” Leach said of his defense’s pursuit of the quarterback against LSU. “Mississippi State has had good defensive linemen over time, and then when Zach (Arnett) does that pressure stuff … Mississippi State broke in a huge portion of that with Joe Lee Dunn. Sometimes old ways are best.”
Saturday, MSU wrangled a previously dynamic LSU offense that averaged nearly 570 yards per game to just 425 yards in the debut of post-Joe Burrow quarterback Myles Brennan. Limiting the Tigers to 146 yards in the first half, they did it with creativity in their scheme and constant pressure.
Speaking with the media Tuesday night, junior linebacker Tyrus Wheat noted the Bulldogs and defensive coordinator Zach Arnett noticed a mismatch on the interior of LSU’s offensive line. Using its speed, MSU hounded the interior of the Tiger front en route to seven sacks for a loss of 45 yards.
But beyond the number’s there’s further reason to believe in Saturday’s performance. Of the 23 players on the Bulldogs’ two-deep ahead of Saturday’s contest against Arkansas, 16 are either underclassmen or junior college transfers in their first season at MSU. In the secondary, sophomore Martin Emerson is the most experienced cornerback on the roster despite having been in Starkville for just one year.
Despite the inexperience, there’s confidence to MSU’s youthful defense. Granted some of that is earned with a win over a defending national championship, but for a team that lost seven starters from a season ago and replaced them with one senior, four sophomores and two juniors in Wheat and walk-on Londyn Craft.
“We don’t fear anyone,” Preston said Tuesday night of this year’s safeties. “No matter how old you are, how old they are, how much more experience they’ve got than you, I’m going to give you all of mine for 60 minutes.”
Leach’s best year at Washington State came in 2018 when current Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting and guided the nation’s top-ranked passing attack with an average of 367.6 yards per game. Concluding the year 11-2, it was the first time in school history the Cougars reached the 11-win plateau and their first 10-win season since 2003.
As for the defense, former Minnesota head coach Tracy Claeys helped the unit to a No. 42 ranking in total defense — the second-best mark of the Leach era in Pullman — allowing just 359.5 yards per game.
Over Leach’s final three seasons at Washington State, the Cougars were 21-0 when the defense allowed 27 or fewer points in a game. Saturday, senior quarterback K.J. Costello and the MSU offense stole headlines with his 623-yard, five-touchdown effort through the air. And while it’s not expected that he’ll eclipse the 600-yard mark in every game this contest, it was the defense’s effort that proved as much the difference.
“He’s the best coach in the game,” Leach’s longtime mentor Hal Mumme told The Dispatch via text Saturday night. “Been doing more with less for years. Now he has skill and a program with a history of great defense. Look out. This is just the beginning.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.