Three Takeaways From Mississippi State's 41-14 Loss To LSU

What we took away from Mississippi State’s 41-14 loss to LSU as the Bulldogs prepare to travel to South Carolina in Week 4.

Mississippi State (2-1) was unable to repeat its success of the first two weeks of the college football season as it opened up SEC play against the No. 14-ranked LSU Tigers on Saturday, falling 41-14 at home.

This was a tough loss for the Bulldogs to suffer in Starkville, as LSU snagged the momentum early and never let go as the Bulldogs showed little signs of life on offense and lack of resistance on defense.

Here's a look into three takeaways as the Bulldogs hope to bounce back in Week 4:

1. The Bulldogs were blatantly outcoached.

Coming off of the close win over Arizona, the coaching of Mississippi State came into question after head coach Zac Arnett admitted to not having everyone prepared. Against LSU, it looked even worse. The lack of adjustments mid-game on either side of the ball was alarming. Defensively, the middle of the field was wide open for the majority of the game. That allowed Jayden Daniels and Malik Naber to work all over the defense.

Will Rogers had an off game, however the play calling is no better. In the first half alone, the offensive line was losing the battle in the trenches, and there was no answer for Harold Perkins Jr. Before the big run by Woody Marks, the offense had only generated 7 total yards of offensive with about three minutes left in the first half. At some point, the coaches should know how to start adjusting and not stick to the scheme that is not working.

2. Playmaking ability off-display as offense continues to lack explosiveness.

The only positive yard situations in this game for State came from wide receiver Lideatrick "Tulu" Griffin returning the ball and Woody Marks breaking off for a huge gain. 

Excluding those two instances, the lack of playmaking and playmakers was a glaring issue. Will Rogers is not the most athletic quarterback, and his skill set is limited. The rare use of Mike Wright is a cause for concern when he can get positive yards with his legs, compared to Rogers, at any time.

Linebackers Nathaniel Watson and Jett Johnson allowing passes to come down the middle with such ease is out of their character. The hard-hitting duo were non-existent on most passing plays because of how deep their coverage was. They have a knack for causing turnovers, but the scheme took those playmaking opportunities away. 

3. Secondary issues must be fixed. 

There was no answer for Malik Nabers, who ultimately had a field day in Davis Wade Stadium. Anyone who lined up against him could not stop his dominant performance. 

Nabers had 13 receptions for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns. The coverage on downfield plays allowed Daniel to play one of the best games of his career. The lack of speed in the corner and safety rooms has started to harm the team. Against other SEC teams, who have speed in their wide receiver room, the weakness of this defense will continue to get hunted.