Three Takeaways From Arizona As Mississippi State Moves On To Week 3 Matchup Vs. LSU

What we took away from Mississippi State's 31-24 overtime win over Arizona as the Bulldogs prepare to face the LSU Tigers.

Another week, another close win for Mississippi State football (2-0).

The team's most recent win came in overtime against the Arizona Wildcats as the Bulldogs recorded a 31-24 victory over a Pac-12 opponent. 

With MSU continuing to transition into the Zach Arnett era and knocking some of the rust off, there's still an apparent need to establish a stronger sense of rhythm and plenty of room for improvement on top of the positives.

Here's a look into three takeaways from the Bulldogs' latest performance ahead of the contest against LSU:

1. Physicality and Effort

One thing that will never be a surprise is the effort given to coach Arnett and the hard-nosed approach he takes to coaching. 

The defense, outside of a few moments played smash-mouth football. Their intensity caused four forced turnovers and gave the offense plenty of opportunities to score. The offense did not take advantage of the high-flying defense, however, they started to get an understanding of themselves deep into the fourth quarter and overtime.

2. Run The Ball, But Not Too Much

Focus has turned in the offensive room more than expected. Quarterback Will Rogers only threw for 17 passes which was his lowest number of passes as a starter. Running back Jo'quavious "Woody" Marks now has back-to-back 100-plus yard games with at least one score. He is turning into one of the premier backs in the SEC, but Rogers is also one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the nation. 

MSU ran 39 times and if you allow Rogers to get a few more of those plays, the Bulldogs can be a dangerous team.

3. Secondary Woes

Because Mississippi State plays so much zone coverage, it is easy to dump it off to a quick speedy back or receiver to gain a few yards on a weaker State secondary. 

The flat areas were a repeated target for Arizona quarterback Jayden De Laura. Wildcat players were wide open on many occasions causing havoc in the short field. The secondary plays well in man-to-man coverage however they can be caught sleeping. A few tightenings of the screws with little small things and the secondary can be dangerous. 

On Sept. 16, MSU plays in its biggest test of the season so far in LSU (1-1), which is coming off a 72-10 win against Grambling. Making the necessary tweaks will be imperative as the team moves into stiffer competition with the season progressing.