LOOKS LIKE MIKE AGREES WITH ME-------------TARKVILLE ? You can count on one hand how many words Mississippi State coach Mike Leach needed when asked what his wide receivers must do to improve the effectiveness of its overwhelmed offense.

"They need to play hard," Leach said on Wednesday's SEC teleconference.

That's it? It's that simple?

"I think that would be a huge starting point, yeah," Leach added.


Leach's succinct thoughts on Mississippi State's wideouts came two days after he called that unit "below average" in its play during the first half of the season. He had more to say about that group Monday.

Leach said the wide receivers have talent and ability, but they have a hard time focusing for long periods of time. He feels they take too many plays off when they should be locked in for each and every one of them.

He said they are not always true to their assignments either.

"When we're trying to stretch the field, we'll have too many guys try to make judgments on whether the ball is coming to them," Leach said. "And if they don't think it's coming to them, they'll gear down on the route. Then that negatively impacts the other people out there running routes and the whole dimension of the play."