Mississippi State Football: Three Takeaways From Loss to Texas

What are three things that stood out as Mississippi State fell to Texas?

Sep 7, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Mississippi State football dropped its fourth straight game, this time to the second-ranked Texas Longhorns. However, the game went much better for Mississippi State than many anticipated, only falling 35 to 13.

There is no such thing as a moral victory for first-year head coach Jeff Lebby, but this certainly increased fans' morale. Mississippi State played a competitive game, which did not seem possible, but what stood out the most from the game?

Mississippi State Ran the Ball Well

Running the football is a staple of the Lebby offense. Despite the high-flying shots down the field, at its core, it is a run-first offense.

During the first three weeks of the season, the Bulldogs could not find any consistency in the ground game. Mississippi State found some success against Florida, rushing for 240 yards, but the Gator rush defense was not good.

Conversely, Texas has an elite front seven, yet Mississippi State found success running the ball. The Bulldogs finished with 150 rushing yards, which is quite impressive against the Longhorns.

There are still issues along the offensive line, but if Mississippi State can run the ball, that will significantly help down the stretch.

Mississippi State's Defense Made Big Plays

The Mississippi State defense has been dreadful to start the season and did not play great against Texas, allowing the Longhorns to rack up 522 total yards. However, the Bulldog defense finally made big plays, forcing two fumbles, stopping Texas on a fourth down, and getting off the field on third down.

There is still a long way to go for this defense as the season progresses, but the Mississippi State defense showed definite signs of life.

Mississippi State Will Win A SEC Game

Coming into the season, Mississippi State's merely winning a conference game was not unexpected. However, after a brutal start, the odds of the Bulldogs winning a conference game plummeted. Now, Mississippi State has shown that it can be somewhat competitive with the top teams in the nation.

It will not be easy, but Mississippi State hosts Texas A&M and Arkansas, which are both winnable games. Mississippi State football has been a wild ride thus far this season, but there are signs of progress, and that progression will lead to a conference win.

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