# 2022 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team

The 2022 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi, and compete in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by third-year head coach Mike Leach through the regular season, with Zach Arnett taking over for the team’s bowl appearance after Leach's death in December 2022.
In October 2022, 19-year-old freshman offensive lineman Samuel Westmoreland, from Tupelo, Mississippi, committed suicide. Mississippi State honored Westmoreland with helmet stickers and by painting his initials and number on Scott Field.
On December 11, Leach was hospitalized in critical condition, and Arnett was elevated to interim head coach. Practice for the Bulldogs ahead of the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl and recruiting, was scheduled to continue as normal. Leach died in the evening of December 12, with Mississippi State announcing the news in a statement the following morning. Following the death of Leach, Arnett was made the permanent head coach.

## Schedule

Mississippi State and the SEC announced the 2022 football schedule on September 21, 2021.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | 6:30 p.m. | Memphis* | | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | ESPNU | W 49–23 | 54,360 |
| September 10 | 10:00 p.m. | at Arizona* | | Arizona StadiumTucson, AZ | FS1 | W 39–17 | 46,275 |
| September 17 | 5:00 p.m. | at LSU | | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA (rivalry) | ESPN | L 16–31 | 98,520 |
| September 24 | 11:00 a.m. | Bowling Green* | | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | SECN | W 45–14 | 48,376 |
| October 1 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 17 Texas A&M | | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | SECN | W 42–24 | 51,930 |
| October 8 | 11:00 a.m. | Arkansas | No. 23 | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS (SEC Nation) | SECN | W 40–17 | 57,849 |
| October 15 | 6:30 p.m. | at No. 22 Kentucky | No. 16 | Kroger FieldLexington, KY | SECN | L 17–27 | 61,451 |
| October 22 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 6 Alabama | No. 24 | Bryant–Denny StadiumTuscaloosa, AL (rivalry) | ESPN | L 6–30 | 100,077 |
| November 5 | 6:30 p.m. | Auburn | | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | ESPN2 | W 39–33 $^{OT}$ | 57,769 |
| November 12 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 1 Georgia | | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | ESPN | L 19–45 | 60,352 |
| November 19 | 11:00 a.m. | East Tennessee State* | | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | ESPN+/SECN+ | W 56–7 | 49,117 |
| November 24 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 20 Ole Miss | | Vaught–Hemingway StadiumOxford, MS (Egg Bowl) | ESPN | W 24–22 | 62,487 |
| January 2, 2023 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. Illinois* | No. 22 | Raymond James StadiumTampa, FL (ReliaQuest Bowl) | ESPN2 | W 19–10 | 35,797 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 1) - Released prior to gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV | RV | — | — | 23 | 16 | 24 | RV | RV | RV | — | RV | 25 | 24 | 20 |
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 17 | 24 | RV | RV | RV | — | RV | 25 | 23 | 19 |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | 24 | 22 | Not released |

## Coaching staff

| Name | Position |
| Mike Leach | Head coach (regular season) |
| Tony Hughes | Associate head coach & nickelbacks coach |
| Zach Arnett | Head Coach (bowl game), defensive coordinator & linebackers coach |
| Matt Brock | Special teams coordinator & outside linebackers coach |
| Darcel McBath | Cornerbacks coach |
| Eric Mele | Running backs coach |
| Mason Miller | Offensive line coach |
| Dave Nichol | Inside receivers coach |
| Jeff Phelps | Defensive line coach |
| Steve Spurrier Jr. | Outside receivers coach |
| Jason Washington | Safeties coach |
| Tyson Brown | Head strength and conditioning coach |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
| 1 | 16 | Emmanuel Forbes | CB | Washington Commanders |
| 4 | 123 | Cameron Young | DT | Seattle Seahawks |