3 flaws exposed in Mississippi State football’s win over Western Michigan

Oct 7, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Seth Davis (23) runs the ball while defended by Western Michigan Broncos defensive lineman Joshua Nobles (98) and linebacker Donald Willis (15) during the fourth quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 7, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Seth Davis (23) runs the ball while defended by Western Michigan Broncos defensive lineman Joshua Nobles (98) and linebacker Donald Willis (15) during the fourth quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
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Oct 7, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Zavion Thomas (1) runs the ball while defended by Western Michigan Broncos cornerback Bilhal Kone (1) `during the second quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 7, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Zavion Thomas (1) runs the ball while defended by Western Michigan Broncos cornerback Bilhal Kone (1) `during the second quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Mississippi State football’s third down woes continue to linger as Bulldogs struggle to sustain a drive on offense

Another major flaw for this Mississippi State football team is the way the Bulldogs struggle on third downs. The Bulldogs only managed to convert six of their 13 third down attempts. For an SEC team facing a foe from the MAC, that’s incredibly bad for the Bulldogs.

Miss. State ‘s inability to sustain a drive and march down the length of the field on a regular basis could prove to be a big problem as the Bulldogs face SEC quality competition in a couple weeks.

And it’s worth noting that Mississippi State’s already vulnerable defense will wear down rather quickly as the Bulldogs face potent opposing offenses and State is completely unable to sustain a drive on offense.

So… The Egg Bowl. That Auburn game. Maybe Arkansas and Texas A&M. Kentucky. All of those games could be very big problems.

Especially considering the Bulldogs had issues with that against a MAC defense. This offense absolutely has to find a rhythm and find a way to convert against opposing defenses.