Mike Leach throws his kickers under the bus after blowing game
Mike Leach can be ruthless at times, and Saturday was one of those instances.
Leach’s Mississippi State Bulldogs lost 31-28 to the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Bulldogs’ poor kicking game was a big reason for the defeat. Though they made all four of their extra points, Mississippi State went 0-for-3 on field goal attempts.
Starting kicker Brandon Ruiz missed two field goal attempts before being benched for Nolan McCord, who missed a 40-yard attempt to tie the game as time expired.
One of Ruiz’s misses was from 23 yards and was particularly egregious.
After the loss, Leach said in his postgame press conference that he was holding open kicker tryouts.
Miss State kickers missed three field goals against Arkansas, so Mike Leach announces open tryouts to be the Bulldogs’ new kicker. pic.twitter.com/wHfNt7hWfs
— Mason Choate (@ChoateMason) November 7, 2021
Mike Leach's full comment on the kicking game (0-3 on FGs): “There’s an open tryout on our campus for kickers. Anybody who wants to walk on and kick at Mississippi State, we’ll hold a tryout anytime you can get over there to our building providing you’re cleared by the NCAA.”
— Theo DeRosa (@Theo_DeRosa) November 7, 2021
It’s hard to tell whether Leach is joking or serious, but we know he is not happy with his kicking game. His Bulldogs are now 5-4. By comparison, Arkansas’ Cam Little went 3/4 on field goals, and his team won.
Photo: Oct 2, 2021; College Station, Texas, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach argues a call while playing against the Texas A&M Aggies in the third quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports