Mississippi State AD announces ReliaQuest Bowl decision for Bulldogs after Mike Leach's passing

Mississippi State players are mourning the death of coach Mike Leach this week, but when Jan. 2 rolls around, they know what their late coach would want them to do.

The Bulldogs are slated to play the Illinois Fighting Illini in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa that day.

And, on Tuesday, Mississippi State interim AD Bracky Brett revealed to Chris Low of ESPN that the Bulldogs would indeed suit up for that bowl game:

As @HailStateFB grieves Mike Leach’s death, interim AD Bracky Brett tells ESPN that the Bulldogs will play in their ReliaQuest Bowl game on Jan. 2 against Illinois. “The players are 100 percent behind playing this bowl game and doing what coach Leach would expect them to do.”

— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) December 13, 2022

“The players are 100 percent behind playing this bowl game and doing what coach Leach would expect them to do,” Brett’s statement reads.

Mississippi State will enter the bowl game with an 8-4 overall record, looking for win No. 9 on the season. The game is slated to kick off at noon Eastern time on Monday, Jan. 2, and can be seen on ESPN2.