Mississippi State vs. Auburn: Three Keys To The Game For Mississippi State

Mississippi State travels to Auburn hoping to continue the momentum after last week's 7-3 victory over Arkansas.

Mississippi State (4-3) got a much needed victory last week in the 7-3 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks, and it came in a way that was unexpected. The struggling MSU defense rose to the occasion, the deciding factor in an otherwise lackluster game.

Here are three keys to the Bulldogs securing their second consecutive in-conference victory as they hit The Plains against the Auburn Tigers (3-4) open Saturday.

1. More Aggressive Offensive Play-calling

The Bulldogs will likely be without Will Rogers for the second straight week, but offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay cannot be timid. Mike Wright will get the start, and his skillset is completely different that Rogers, and the play calling should reflect that.

Wright needs more designed runs for him so he can maximize his ability to be a difference maker. Last week, Wright only threw the ball 12 times and completed eight of them this week his passing attempts need to go up.

The Bulldogs need to pose at least a threat in the passing game to be able to open up running lanes.

Mississippi State QB Mike Wright.
Mississippi State QB Mike Wright

2. Continued Success On Defense

The Bulldog defense had their best performance of the year by far last week. It was domination on all levels, and Auburn struggles on offense, so MSU and Zach Arnett need to keep this up.

The Tigers run the ball well and their pass game is non-existent so if the Bulldogs can force the Tigers into third-and-long, they will have success. While Arnett denied any changes it did look like there was major changes made to the Bulldog defense after the bye week and those changes need to stick.

3. Energy

The Bulldog sidelines had a different energy last week after being rather sluggish in the first half of the season. The energy then translated onto the field as players were flying around and playing hard particularly on defense.

Intensity from the sidelines may seem like a non-factor, but on the road in the SEC it is much needed. The players feed off this, and it leads to big plays.

Last week when MSU stopped Arkansas on 4th and one the sideline exploded and gave the Bulldogs all the momentum that they never relinquished.

This is another winnable game for the Bulldogs and gives them a chance to improve to 5-3. Embarrassing performances against LSU and Western Michigan are not quite in the rear view mirror, but sitting at 5-3 with Kentucky coming to Starkville next week a team the Bulldogs have dominated at home it will be hard to think MSU has turned a corner.

This game will be a defining moment for the Arnett era. 


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Jacob Bain
JACOB BAIN

Jacob Bain first joined Cowbell Corner as an intern, and was promoted to lead day-to-day coverage in Starkville of Mississippi State sports in 2023. His primary beats include football, baseball and basketball. He's originally from Fulton, Miss.