Mike Leach and K.J. Costello are both new to Mississippi State this year. But they showed what kind of damage they can do together Saturday against the defending national champs. The Bulldogs handed LSU a stunning, 44-34 season-opening upset and its first loss since the 2018 season.
Some questioned whether Leach’s air raid offense would succeed against SEC defenses. The early answer appears to be yes, even if Ed Orgeron’s Tigers are a very different team than they were last season. In addition to losing defensive players because of turnover and some opt-outs, they also took on the Bulldogs without star defensive back Derek Stingley Jr., who did not play after being hospitalized Friday with a condition LSU said is not COVID-19 related.
Still, Leach, Costello and Mississippi State’s new offense tore LSU’s secondary up and helped the Bulldogs upset the Tigers in Death Valley. It’s the first time since Michigan lost to Notre Dame in 1998 that the defending champ fell in its season-opener.
Say goodbye!
A perfect catch and run for @HailStateFB. pic.twitter.com/6tQKjRaQez— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) September 26, 2020
The clear star of the game, Costello completed 36-of-60 passes and threw for 623 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. That was easily a career-high for the senior transfer from Stanford.
With that impressive season-opening performance, he set Mississippi State’s single-game passing yards record, breaking the 508-yard mark Dak Prescott set in 2015, as CBS’ broadcast noted.
He also destroyed the SEC single-game passing yards record, previously held by former Georgia quarterback Eric Zeier, who threw for 544 yards in 1993, according to the conference’s record book.
The K.J. Costello Show pic.twitter.com/CLserrW7iP
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) September 26, 2020
And as CBS reported, his 623 yards rank him at No. 11 in single-game college football history.
Of course, Mississippi State’s receivers benefit from this system too. Osirus Mitchell led the Bulldogs’ receiving corps with seven catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns, while star running back Kylin Hill had eight catches for 158 yards and one touchdown. Hill also had 34 yards on the ground.
NOBODY'S CATCHING KYLIN pic.twitter.com/VgKEUEdxkz
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) September 26, 2020
As for the reaction among fans, college football Twitter was impressed, including reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, and had jokes about Leach’s air raid offense succeeding early in the SEC.
Get used to the name K.J. Costello. pic.twitter.com/unmREmXVs7
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) September 26, 2020
Wait wait dude has 600 passing yards?!?!?
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) September 26, 2020
ThE AiR RaId WoNt WoRk iN tHe SeC @HailStateFB 🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/FaJ4ykPJdn
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 26, 2020
Mike Leach wandering into the SEC like pic.twitter.com/qFqO9ePlfE
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 26, 2020
This air raid offense is going CRAZY!!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
— Fred Ross (@Theboss_8) September 26, 2020
If a QB throwing for 630 yards in an SEC game with the air raid offense doesn’t sell you on the system, idk what will 🤷🏻♂️
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) September 26, 2020
When Mike Leach and KJ Costello rack up 500 passing yards in their first 3 quarters together in the Air Raid. pic.twitter.com/n7GTVydAe4
— Bulldog Graphics (@Bulldog_Graphic) September 26, 2020
Mike Leach after he was told the air raid wouldn’t work in the SEC pic.twitter.com/Is5wz0bYTV
— Daniel Olinger (@dan_olinger) September 26, 2020
THE AIR RAID CANT WORK IN THE SE………..
— Jake Wimberly (@Jakewim) September 26, 2020
SEC fans: “Those air raid offenses won’t work against SEC defenses.”
Mike Leach (as team passes for 600+ vs LSU in game 1): pic.twitter.com/3nJtGl1ph0
— Casey Dykes (@CaseyDykes) September 26, 2020
K.J. Costello & Mike Leach pic.twitter.com/QwjoxMKQEw
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 26, 2020
