Mike Leach jokes about his defense after first-half shut-out against Texas A&M

After going to halftime with a 14-0 lead over Texas A&M, Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach joked that his defense actually did its job. Leach and the Bulldogs defense forced two huge turnovers from the Aggies in the first half while they were in position to score — leading to a first-half shut-out and a great, short halftime interview.

Mike Leach on his first-half defense

With the teams heading into the locker rooms for halftime, Leach was the scheduled interview for the SEC broadcast team — although he didn’t seem interested in waiting on the field. Leach conducted his on-field interview in full walk to the locker room, making for a short one-question talk.

The only question Leach was able to take was about how his defense was able to be so effective in the first half.

“Well, when they do their job they’re pretty good. We gotta be better at getting home because I think we can put even more pressure on him,” answered Leach as he reached the tunnel.

While not surprising, hearing Leach praise his defense before immediately criticizing their mistakes is a great look at Leach’s no-nonsense style. To his credit, without the two huge turnovers forced by his defense the game could have been a one-score contest at the break. Texas A&M’s Devon Achane had an efficient and productive first-half when they had their opportunities, but his fumble at the Mississippi State six-yard line was an incredibly costly one.

Last week, the Aggies were the beneficiary of a goal-line fumble that set them up for a comeback and dominant second half. Against the Bulldogs, the situation felt very different at halftime as the Bulldogs took advantage of Achane’s turnover for an 11-play, 94-yard drive for a touchdown.

While the defense held tough against the Aggies offense, Leach’s offense continued their recent red zone dominance, extending their streak to 14-straight touchdowns on red zone opportunities.