Three Things of Note as Mississippi State Prepares to Face Georgia
Mississippi State was able to slide past Auburn in its most recent showing as the Bulldogs improved to 6-3 with a 39-33 overtime victory in Davis Wade Stadium.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak and gave the team a momentum boost as they officially secured bowl eligibility and look to finish strong heading into the final three games of the season.
Here's a look at three things to take note of that the Bulldogs showed against Auburn that will carry over as the team prepares for its toughest opponent of the season in the No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs:
Some Positive Takeaways On Offense
It wasn't an entirely pretty effort that saw some sputtering at times, but there were good things within the numbers and some shining moments for the unit. Mississippi State's offense continues to shine under head coach Mike Leach, with the Bulldogs' passing game making the plays they need to make in the times that mattered most.
Quarterback Will Rogers finished the game throwing 42/59 passes for 357 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, surpassing MSU legend Dak Prescott for the most passing yards and passing touchdowns in school history.
Wide receivers Rara Thomas and Caleb Ducking were among the standouts against the Tigers, as Thomas recorded two touchdowns and Ducking also came up with a score, averaging an impressive 15.5 yards per reception.
Leach's rushing game we have seen him experimenting with still needs some work however, finishing with a combined 13 yards for 0.7 average yards per carry. Nevertheless, it won't matter as long as his Air Raid offense continues to its job like it did against the Tigers.
The Bulldogs Need To Find More Consistency
The Bulldogs made some dire mistakes on the field, with Rogers fumbling the ball on two of Auburn's five sacks on the quarterback.
The defense also got too complacent, letting Auburn power a comeback before a successful field goal attempt from Bulldogs kicker Massimo Biscardi forced the game into overtime.
A missed field goal attempt by Auburn in overtime gave the Bulldogs a chance to to put the game away, which they did with running back Jo’Quavious Marks' walk -off rushing touchdown.
“It was good at the end and good at the beginning. The defense, I thought, kept us in it,” Mike Leach said. “Wins are hard no matter who you are and sometimes there are games like that. The toughest teams stick through it, battles and wins.”
Despite being without a named new head coach after the firing of Bryan Harsin, the Tigers were able to put on a convincing comeback effort because of the Bulldogs' lack of consistency on the field. This is a glaring issue that needs to be fixed with just a few games remaining on the schedule. Playing an up-and-down game won't to the trick against the best team in the country who is first up on that final slate of games, either.
The Road Ahead
With the college football season almost over, the Bulldogs still have a lot to worry about going into their November schedule.
It all starts with the defending national champions, followed by what should be a tune-up game against ETSU and concludes on the road with Ole Miss in the annual Egg Bowl.
With arguably the toughest remaining part of their schedule at their doorstep, it is important for the Bulldogs to improve on the mistakes they made against Auburn in order to have a chance against their remaining opponents.
If the offense continues to perform and the defense that has hummed so well under Zach Arnett plays at a high level while the Bulldogs crack down on their turnover issues, the team could make some noise in the SEC West with three games remaining.
After extending their bowl game streak to 13 consecutive seasons, success down the stretch could potentially catapult them back into national rankings as well as secure them a solid December venue.
