Mississippi State football opened up the 2023 season in Saturday afternoon in Davis Wade Stadium, playing its first game at home since the passing of late head coach Mike Leach.
It's a new era for the team with almost an entirely different coaching staff and an adjustment was to be expected. While the offense sputtered at first, the defense shined and the team eventually got into a rhythm, delivering the anticipated blowout by the time the clock hit double zeros in the fourth quarter, 48-7.
Here's a look into just three Bulldogs who impressed as the Bulldogs opened the season the way they had hoped for:
RB Jo'quavious Marks
The Bulldogs are making a notable jump offensively where scheme is concerned under new offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay, who come over from Appalachian State to take a position that hadn't previously exited under the Air Raid guru Leach.
With this comes a bit more demand for the running backs to play more of a traditional position while maintaining the versatility of the Air Raid, getting a lot more touches as efforts on the ground grow in the new system.
There were many wondering just how players like Marks would adjust and what this would mean for their overall stat line and draft stock. It's so far, so good for Marks, who had an explosive performance as he carried the ball 19 times for 127 yards with 2 touchdowns. He had a long rush of 37 yards.
He was equally solid in the passing game as the team's leading receiver,
Expect Marks to continue making an impact as the Bulldogs make their way through the season.
LB Nathaniel Watson
Watson had no shortage of preseason honors going into this one, and he showed just why that was as the Bulldogs opened the season on the right note.
The Bulldogs linebacker was a key factor in the defensive surge that allowed the team to really get going in the midst of a somewhat stagnant first two quarters in which Arnett's team led 20-7 at halftime -- a lesser margin than some expected going into this one.
On the first play of the second quarter, he forced and recovered a fumble at the Lions’ 36-yard line after Logan Jacob reeled in the reception.
Watson finished out the contest with 8 combined tackles (3 solo), 1.5 sacks, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass breakup, 1 quarterback hurry and 1 forced fumble.
WR Creed Whittemore
Whittemore may be just a freshman, and he wasn't exactly talked about a lot ahead of the season, but he's a player who could very easily catch national attention on a consistent basis if he continues to play the way he did on Saturday.
Whittemore finished out his first career game with some film to be proud of as he showed the ability to make an impact in both the passing attack and the ground game. He finished out the contest with 4 receptions for 59 yards with a 33-yard touchdown, also carrying the ball twice for 57 yards and a 53-yard touchdown.
That's good for 116 all-purpose yards and a pair of scores. His development will undoubtedly be something to keep watch over.
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