Mississippi State won the football game, but did little to address the concerns of many Bulldog fans.
Mississippi State dropped its 2023 record to 3-3 with a 41-28 win over Western Michigan (2-4) on Saturday. The Bulldog defense dominated the first 25 minutes of the game and then things got a little messy. The Broncos started Hayden Wolff at fullback and things worked out for the visitors. Wolff is no newcomer to college football. Many underestimated his abilities, but Wolff started at Old Dominion for two years. He has 6,000 yards to go in his college career.
Offensively, State has shown promise. The Bulldogs were mostly split between Will Rogers and Mike Wright. As a result, State scored on seven dozen possessions. The few that came up empty should have been won. Freshman kicker Kyle Ferrie went 46 yards on the team’s third drive.
Many of State’s issues on offense were largely self-inflicted. It is difficult to pick through a 41-point game and assign many demerits, but the Bulldogs left some points on the field. At times, State was its own worst enemy due to pre-snap and holding penalties. All of that understood, State looked better on offense than in recent weeks.
Defensively many of the same issues in coverage persisted. State did manage to get some stops late to prevent a 4th quarter comeback from Western Michigan. That said, the Broncos should have long been in the rearview mirror before the final period.
Mississippi State will now enjoy an open date. The Bulldogs will use the next two weeks to heal up and prepare for Arkansas. Kickoff in Fayetteville has been set for 11 AM CT. Arkansas plays Alabama this weekend and will likely be a 2-5 football team when State arrives.
A battered Bulldogs team needs time to get some guys healthy. In Saturday’s game, Ferrie, quarterback Will Rogers and starting linebacker Jo’Quavious Marks left the game with injuries. The severity of each disease is currently unknown. Rumors persist about the health of Rogers, who left the game in favor of his left hand. The status signal caller hole returns to the sideline without shoulders or straps for the rest of the game. While initial word was that Rogers might be back, there has been no official update on his condition. This is a situation that will continue to be monitored
