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Mississippi State Football: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

By William Mitchell

Oct 8, 2022; Starkville, Mississippi, USA;Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Dillon Johnson (23) runs the ball against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2022; Starkville, Mississippi, USA;Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Dillon Johnson (23) runs the ball against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dawgs. Win. Again. Another week and another Bulldog win in Starkville. Mississippi State football really shined this past Saturday, while bringing their 2022 season record to 5-1. It’s times like this that bring back memories of 2014, and the Bulldogs being ranked number one in the first-ever college football playoff rankings.

The Bulldogs are starting to garner some national attention being currently ranked 16th nation, but Mississippi State football has a long hard road ahead of them if they want to see Atlanta this year which is very possible.

First and foremost, the Bulldogs will have to go on the road for the first time in three weeks and face an upset group of Wildcats in Lexington. Kentucky is coming off an ugly loss to South Carolina on Saturday and Coach Stoops wants to get things back on track this coming weekend. To do this, Kentucky will need their starting quarterback, Will Levis, under center who was out with a lower leg injury against South Carolina, and it showed.

Will Levis is a good quarterback with both his arm and his legs, and he is currently rated as one of the nation’s top NFL draft picks for the 2023 NFL draft. Mississippi State needs to stay focused and get mentally prepared for this week’s game in Lexington because the Wildcats are not planning on losing their third game in a row in front of a home crowd. With that being said, let’s talk Mississippi State Football: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly against those Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Good – Mississippi State Football’s Offense

Mississippi State had a great game this past Saturday both through the air and on the ground. Just like last week the Offense was very well balanced. The most impressive aspect was the run game led by Dillion Johnson and Jo’quavius Marks. Dillion Johnson rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, while Marks had 52 yards and one touch down on the day. Both backs contributed to the passing game as well. Marks led all receivers with 11 receptions 80 yards through the air.

As usual the passing game was impressive with Will Rogers throwing three touchdowns on the day one each for Caleb Ducking, Austin Williams, and Jaden Walley. I believe this was the best offensive game so far this season, let hope it carries over to this week’s match-up with Kentucky.

The Bad – Mississippi State Football’s Defensive Pass Coverage

The Bulldogs showed some weakness in the secondary against the Razorbacks. Over the past few weeks, the Bulldogs have had the luxury of facing average passing quarterbacks and those days are gone moving forward. Over the next two weeks, the Bulldogs will face Will Levis a possible first-round pick in the 2023 draft and the following week will be against last year’s Heisman trophy winner Bryce Young.

Saturday against Arkansas backup quarterback, Mississippi state surrendered 237 yards through the air while giving up one passing touchdown. The Bulldogs had several coverage issues which could have altered the course of the game had the Razorbacks had their starting Quarterback. These issues must be addressed and corrected, or both Kentucky and Alabama will attack our secondary quickly and often.

The Ugly – Mississippi State Football’s Special Teams

Last year, I believed Mississippi State had the country’s worst extra point average of the 2021 NCAA football season. I mean even Coach Leach said he was going to hold open tryouts for anyone that was NCAA-eligible. This is becoming a nightmare and an embarrassment to watch. I must leave the room every time we score because I just can’t handle the stress of the extra point kick much less have to watch a possible game-winning kick.

So far, the snapper seems to be doing his job of getting the ball in the hands of the holder from there it’s a hope and a prayer for this kicking team. Can you imagine losing a chance to play in Atlanta or a victory against a top-ranked team because of a missed extra-point attempt?

Mississippi State Football Prediction – Week 6

I believe Will Levis will play this week and I also believe that he will probably limit his out-of-pocket activity, which should reduce his carry attempts. Currently, Mississippi State is playing well on both sides of the ball, but the threat of a good pocket passer is truly an issue with our coverage issues over the past two weeks.

Without Levis on the field I believe this is another big win for the Bulldogs but with Will Levis playing this game comes down to which team has the least mistakes. I will pick Mississippi State on the road but in a close one. The Bulldogs might have to produce a fourth-quarter comeback drive. Mississippi State gets the win and moves to 6-1 heading into Tuscaloosa.

Mississippi State 27

Kentucky 24

GOD BLESS, HAIL STATE, and GO DAWGS!!!

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