Jet skis to tug of war: Inside Mississippi State football's ReliaQuest Bowl beach day

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Rings of cowbells, chants of “Hail State” and shouts of “I-L-L” echoed on the coast of Clearwater Beach on Friday, but it had nothing to do with the result of Monday’s ReliaQuest Bowl. It was an afternoon in which Illinois and Mississippi State football players weren’t the heart of the competition.

The fandom on display at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort was centered around a pep rally tug-of-war contest between spirit squads.

It started with the MSU men’s team taking the first round, but the Illini women forced a decisive co-ed round that went to the Bulldogs. Sporting the signature Mike Leach top – a black T-shirt with “STATE” in white block letters across the chest – there was no way the MSU spirit squad was walking away with a loss.

Following their respective practices, the Illinois and MSU players enjoyed the pep rally for an afternoon away from football. As the tug of war heated up, a plethora of MSU players were 100 yards away gathered around a BouYah Watersports hut.

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Rather than running routes or delivering massive tackles, players such as MSU defensive lineman Randy Charlton were sitting at picnic tables filling out waivers to ride jet skis and paddleboards.

“You’ve got to balance the business trip side of it with the vacation side of it,” linebacker Jett Johnson said. “A bowl game, you earn to be here. … You’re supposed to enjoy it for the first couple of nights. We have. We’ve had fun.”

The expected fan turnout for the beach day was 5,000 fans, and the crowd featured a sizable MSU contingent. The maroon representation is expected to continue as MSU sold its allotment of ReliaQuest Bowl tickets early in the process.

“Everybody knows we have some of the best fans in the nation,” said Johnson, who was a freshman during the 2018 Outback Bowl trip. “Shoutout to the maroon-and-white nation. We love y’all. We’re thankful for all the traveling y’all do.”

Whether fans were wearing MSU Hawaiian shirts or matching the spirit squad, it was evident they, like the team, hope Mississippi State can honor Leach’s death with a win in a state he frequented.

Zach Arnett, who is making the transition from defensive coordinator to head coach, served the role of addressing to the crowd amidst the festivities. His instinct to mention the Egg Bowl win last month shows he’s well aware of how to get MSU fans revved up. In years when the Egg Bowl trophy isn’t in Starkville, perhaps he can fall back on tug-of-war titles as a way to get fans going.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Inside Mississippi State football ReliaQuest Bowl beach festivities