Kamario Taylor threw for four touchdowns and rushing for another as Mississippi State dominated UL Monroe in a 62-13 season-opening victory Saturday night in Starkville, Miss.
Taylor, who grew up in Mississippi a fan of the Bulldogs (1-0), completed 22 of 34 passes for 354 yards without turning the ball over.
Eleven different receivers caught at least one pass, led by Anthony Evans III, who finished with seven catches for 118 yards.
The Bulldogs rolled up 762 yards of total offense and converted on all five of their chances in the red zone.
For ULM (0-1), Aidan Armenta was 10 of 16 for 67 yards while Austin Carlisle went 6 of 10 for 73 yards. The Warhawks finished with 278 yards.
The Bulldogs punched it in the end zone on their opening drive and never looked back.
Taylor completed five of his seven attempts, the last a 6-yard scoring strike to Sanfrisco Magee with 12:21 to play in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
The Warhawks couldn’t counter when going for it on fourth-and-1 at the Warhawks’ 34-yard line. Armenta’s pass fell incomplete on the play.
Taylor, meanwhile, kept the Bulldogs rolling along. His 22-yard scoring strike to Zion Ragins with 10:26 left pushed the advantage to 14-0.
He added a rushing touchdown of 26 yards with 5:58 remaining, scrambling to his left on the play, as the Bulldogs led 21-0 at the end of the first.
ULM managed to get on the scoreboard for the first time at the start of the second quarter as Abram Murray kicked a field goal from 43 yards out that cut the deficit to 21-3.
Taylor’s third touchdown toss of the night, this one to Evans, made it 28-3 at the 13:15 mark.
Two field goals from Kyle Ferrie and a 14-yard rushing touchdown from Xavier Gayten with under a minute left made it 41-3 in favor of the Bulldogs going into halftime.
Mississippi State’s defensive effort in the first half was on point as well, holding ULM to 107 yards.
Taylor unleashed a 70-yard touchdown throw to Marquis Johnson at the 13:45 mark of the third as the Bulldogs stretched their advantage to 48-3.
ULM did get its lone touchdown of the night in the second half, scoring when Carlisle, a transfer from Houston, hit Derrick Jameson on a 40-yard pass with 10:14 left in the third to make the score 48-10.
Mississippi State led 48-13 going to the fourth before adding a pair of rushing touchdowns from freshman J.J. Hill, including one on a 57-yard run. Hill finished with 118 yards on seven carries.
