MSU football news.... 2 articles

[99jc]

Nothing mind blowing here just trying to get into the football spirit

The quarterback competition at Mississippi State is wide open ahead of the 2021 football season, though Will Rogers and graduate transfer Jack Abraham appear to be the two main frontrunners.

College football analyst Phil Steele had praise for both players earlier this month.

?They've got two capable quarterbacks,? Steele said on the Locked on SEC podcast. ?Will Rogers took over in the second half of last year and they brought in Jack Abraham from Southern Miss. He impressed me in the spring, very good spring game. They?ve got talent there."

In terms of pure experience, Abraham has the edge.

Over three seasons at Southern Miss, Abraham completed over 69% of his passes for 7,067 yards with 31 touchdowns and 29 interceptions.

In 2020, he finished out the season with a 65.1% completion percentage, passing for 1,224 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions over five appearances.

Rogers is the only quarterback currently on the MSU roster who has experience as a starter under Mike Leach since he became the head coach of the Bulldogs.

Rogers assumed the helm of the Bulldogs offense after KJ Costello suffered a concussion in the game against Alabama back in October. The then-true freshman became the starter from that point onward.

He finished out the year with 69.1% completion percentage, throwing for 1,976 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions over nine appearances.

It will be interesting to see if it's Rogers again or if Abraham gets the nod for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart when the Bulldogs kick off the season against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Sept. 4 in Davis Wade Stadium.


2nd article https://www.djournal.com/sports/coll...7f90f8e1f.html


The expectations for Mississippi State?s football season are all over the place just like press conferences with Mike Leach typically are as SEC Media Days approach.

Here are few questions you can expect him to be asked on Wednesday afternoon:

Who will be your starting quarterback this season?

To which we?ll likely hear: it?s still to be determined.

Leach made it clear ? despite a fair assumption Will Rogers will be starting ? there?s an open competition for QB1.

Southern Miss transfer Jack Abraham, the former Oxford High School standout, is the one making it a competition. Leach clearly thinks highly of him.


Even if Abraham doesn?t have much of a real chance and the job does belong to Rogers, why not use Abraham as a little extra fuel in fall camp to spark Rogers?

What did a full offseason mean for the offense?

As glorious as the offense was against LSU and Missouri, it was clear that implementing a new system with most of the prior spring season canceled due to a pandemic isn?t helpful.

A full, somewhat normal offseason might provide some clarity.

Have receivers built better chemistry with the quarterbacks? And how is the offensive line gelling together?

How about the defense?

MSU?s defense was on the field too much last season and often in unfavorable starting positions, but it still could?ve been better.

With seven starters returning ? leading tackler Erroll Thompson is not among those ? what will Season 2 of this defense under Zach Arnett look like?

The secondary figures to be in good shape, but MSU?s defensive line could be what keeps this defense afloat or sinks it toward the bottom of the conference.

[BuckyIsAB****]

There is no QB competition and never was. Hate to break it to yall

[Maverick91]

There is no QB competition and never was. Hate to break it to yall

Do you say this thinking that Rogers is so far ahead of Abraham or Abraham is just not that good?

[Captain Falcon]

I am sure Abraham is a good kid and I like having him as an emergency QB...

Feel pretty confident that an injury or some other off the field issue is the only thing keeping Rogers from starting Week 1. I think more is being made out of the QB competition than there probably should be, and it would be far more interesting if Robertson had been here for the Spring.

[OLJWales]

whatchall's opinion on this Steele Guy?

[Harrydawg]

There is no QB competition and never was. Hate to break it to yall

Come on Bucky - calling you out. This is complete BS. Of course there is a competition! Why would you say this?

And Sawyer Robertson will have something to say - he good.

[BuckyIsAB****]

Do you say this thinking that Rogers is so far ahead of Abraham or Abraham is just not that good?

Will is just better. Abraham will be a good backup and I was impressed with him at Oxford and at USM. But there was never a true competition. Abraham came to work with Leach and with what he has done with QBs who can blame him? Will is Leachs guy and once he finds his guy he wins.

[BuckyIsAB****]

Come on Bucky - calling you out. This is complete BS. Of course there is a competition! Why would you say this?

And Sawyer Robertson will have something to say - he good.

I mean yeah there is competition in the sense that he is there to push Will, but there was no true competition to see who the starter would be. Some are making it like we have a QB controversy and we just dont. Will is the guy. And will be for at least 2 more years

[Maverick91]

Will is just better. Abraham will be a good backup and I was impressed with him at Oxford and at USM. But there was never a true competition. Abraham came to work with Leach and with what he has done with QBs who can blame him? Will is Leachs guy and once he finds his guy he wins.

I buying what you are selling and I hope we are right.

[Maverick91]

I mean yeah there is competition in the sense that he is there to push Will, but there was no true competition to see who the starter would be. Some are making it like we have a QB controversy and we just dont. Will is the guy. And will be for at least 2 more years

You think its going to take Sawyer two more years to bypass Rogers?

[BuckyIsAB****]

You think its going to take Sawyer two more years to bypass Rogers?

Im not convinced he will beat Greek when that time comes