Three Areas For Improvement: Mississippi State Vs. Western Michigan

Three areas Mississippi State football must show improvement in going into the bye week.

Mississippi State (3-3) got the 41-28 win over Western Michigan (2-4) in Week 6, but it was not as smooth sailing as most fans would have hoped for. A high-powered offense with a struggling defense is not a great look going into the bye week.

With this time off, here are three improvements that can boost the team in the coming weeks:

1. Utilize more running backs.

Woody Marks has had an outstanding season, but he has been battling an ankle injury for most of the season. Eyes have turned to the backfield in finding a secondary option outside of Marks. Against Western Michigan, that option was Keyvone Lee. Lee carried the ball th times for 50 yards. The former Penn State back should get the ball more to balance out the usage of Marks to keep him healthy.

2. Play complementary football.

The defense for Mississippi State has been awful this week. In this week's matchup against, the injury-ridden Western Michigan torched them. The best linebacking duo in the SEC is the only bright spot within the defense. There is a saying that defense can help the offense if given the opportunity, but the defense harms the explosive power MSU possesses. Hayden Wolff is Western Michigan’s third-string quarterback, and he played the best game of his young career. The Bulldogs allow career performances to any quarterback that lines up across from them, something that has been a theme in 2023.

3. Coaching staff.

This may be his first year as a head coach, but Zach Arnett looks confused at the helm of the team. The inconsistency of play on both sides of the ball does not help this team in any way. High hopes were placed on the Bulldogs because of the job Arnett did as a defensive coordinator, but the Bulldogs have one of the worst defenses in the SEC. Schemes are becoming basic and repetitive, and like we have seen against SEC opponents, the Bulldogs will get destroyed.

This win is a great start to October. Arkansas is next and it will be big a test for both programs.