Mississippi State lined up in a special formation to honor late head coach Mike Leach at the start of the ReliaQuest Bowl and then ended the game with a touchdown.
The Bulldogs beat Illinois 19-10 on Monday to win nine games in a season for the first time since 2017. Mississippi State broke a 10-10 tie with four seconds to go on a 27-yard field goal by Massimo Biscardi. MSU then scored a TD with no time left as Marcus Banks returned a botched lateral on Illinois’ last-ditch play 60 yards for the game-sealing score.
“I definitely wanted to win this game for coach. I think we all did,” MSU QB Will Rogers said after the game. “If we came out here and lost the game, I don’t think coach would have been too happy with us.”since Leach's death on Dec. 12. The massively influential college football coach suffered a heart issue the day before his death and had been transported to a hospital where he was in critical condition.
The Bulldogs made it clear in the days after Leach’s death that they wanted to play the game and got the ball first to start the game. As MSU walked out onto the field, it lined up in a tribute formation to Leach and let the play clock expire as QB Will Rogers and nine other players on the offense lined up to the left of the center.
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