Will Rogers passed for 391 yards and five touchdowns in a record-setting performance as No. 25 Mississippi State routed FCS member Tennessee State 55-10 on Saturday afternoon at Starkville, Miss.
Rogers, who threw a school-record six touchdown passes in a victory against Auburn a week earlier, threw three of his touchdowns to Austin Williams, who finished with 75 receiving yards. Makai Polk had nine catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Along the way, Rogers broke current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s school records for passing yards and touchdown passes in a season. Rogers now has 4,113 yards passing this season and 34 touchdowns in the air.
The Bulldogs (7-4) also clinched a winning season.
Chayil Garnett and Deveon Bryant filled in for injured quarterback Geremy Hickbottom (back) and combined to complete 19 of 27 passes for 170 yards for the Tigers (5-6), who lost their third consecutive game to complete head coach Eddie George’s first season.
Rogers threw his fifth touchdown pass when he connected with Polk for 50 yards to extend the lead to 42-0 with 9:10 remaining in the third quarter. Dillon Johnson’s 32-yard run made it 49-0 with 2:04 left in the third quarter.
Each team kicked a fourth-quarter field goal before Michael Mitchell ran 5 yards for TSU’s only touchdown with 3:03 to play and Nolan McCord added a 43-yard field goal in the final seconds for MSU.
The Bulldogs, who overcame a 20-point deficit to beat Louisiana Tech in its season opener, then overcame a 25-point deficit against Auburn, scored touchdowns on their first three possessions to take a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Rogers threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Williams, Jo’quavious Marks ran 7 yards for a touchdown and Rogers and Williams connected on a 5-yard touchdown pass.
MSU’s string of touchdown drives ended when it lost a fumble on its fourth possession before Rogers threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Malik Heath for a 28-0 lead 7:52 before halftime.
Rogers and Williams teamed on a 30-yard touchdown pass to increase the lead to 35-0 just before the break.
–Field Level Media
