Takeaways as Mississippi State continues battling but misses chances vs Texas A&M

Mississippi State football dropped its sixth-straight game of the season, losing 34-24 in Starkville to #14 Texas A&M. The Bulldogs, now 1-6 on the season and 0-4 in the SEC, showed further improvement with another hard-fought game against a good team, but they couldn't capitalize on enough opportunities to pull of the upset.

Here's some takeaways from the game...

Mississippi State defense wasted a lot of chances

For as awful as they've been, State's defense has shown the ability in recent weeks to make a handful of big plays a game, which has been just enough to keep things competitive. That continued against Texas A&M. The Bulldogs picked off two passes and multiple second half stops while the game was within striking difference. Unfortunately for them, they aren't going to be given much credit for that considering the wasted chances they had throughout the game. Eight times A&M faced 3rd & 5 or longer. They converted on six of those downs. In one drive, State dropped consecutive interceptions that likely would've gone for touchdowns and allowed a 3rd & 23 conversion. There were far too many times they should've gotten off the field and couldn't, and it's a big reason they lost.

Another hard fought game is good to see, but State could've gotten a win today

State has played three-straight Top-14 opponents and has been increasingly competitive in all three games. For a one-win team in the midst of a rebuild, that's a positive. But while in the games with Texas and Georgia MSU never had a serious chance at winning, the Bulldogs absolutely could've have beaten Texas A&M today. I've already mentioned the defensive miscues that proved costly, but the offense isn't without blame. There were some errant throws, batted balls, awful pass protection, and little run success after the first quarter. State failed to turn an interception in Aggie territory into points, and their erroneous fake punt was an awful decision. It's great to see this team fight, but it is frustrating knowing this could've been a win.

A breakthrough is coming with this Bulldog team

With all of that being said, Mississippi State is absolutely trending in the right direction. This was a tough game because with a cleaner performance, the Bulldogs could've won. But that's ultimately part of going through the growing pains of a rebuilding team. This group still has to learn how to play a complete game and make winning plays. They aren't there yet, but that's coming soon. State has shown they can compete, and they're going to find a way to win one of these games.