Three Takeaways from Mississippi State's Gritty OT Victory Against Auburn

The Tigers exposed some of the Bulldogs' biggest weaknesses, but many student-athletes stood tall as the pressure increased.

Mississippi State became bowl eligible on Saturday night with a 39-33 win over Auburn, but there are still some things that the Bulldogs must clean up heading into the final stretch of the season. 

The game started off incredibly well for the team, which went into the locker room with a 24-6 lead at halftime. Things began to derail in the second half, and Auburn managed to pull off a massive comeback. A few crazy special teams plays later, both teams were knotted up at 33 points apiece and headed to overtime. Mississippi State went on to win the game on a rushing touchdown by Jo'quavious Marks. 

Here are three takeaways from the Bulldogs' much-needed overtime victory against Auburn.

1. Veteran defenders have repeatedly stepped up to the plate in tough situations.

Mississippi State's defense didn't get many chances to take a break on the sideline in the second half. Offensively, the team was unable to maintain long drives and continued to feed Auburn more momentum. The Tigers had solid field position on many of their second-half drives, yet were stopped by a defense that limited red zone appearances to field goals and made big plays when it mattered most. The experienced linebackers trio of Nathaniel Watson, Jett Johnson and Tyrus Wheat combined for 22 tackles, three sacks and 5.5 tackles-for-loss. Even in situations in which the unit could have caved, it didn't, and that's largely why the game's outcome was a victory for the home team. 

2. Will Rogers must be more careful with the football.

Rogers had quite a few close calls against a Tigers defense that hasn't played too well as of late. Aside from two fumbles under pressure, the junior signal-caller had an interception in a crucial moment. A few other passes were nearly picked off, but drops from the defenders kept the ball with the Bulldogs. Georgia has one of the top defenses in the entire nation and Ole Miss is not a team to mess with, so Rogers will need to work on protecting the football if he expects to give his team a chance of victory in those upcoming games. 

3. The special teams unit must find consistency from week to week.

MSU's special teams unit has had a rollercoaster of a season dating back to the team's opening game against Memphis. Saturday's game was no different -- Massimo Biscardi had the biggest night of his career in Maroon and White with a long field goal to send the game into overtime, but both of the team's punters had many misplaced kicks that gave Auburn favorable field position. In past games, that situation has been reversed, with punters rising to the occasion and kickers struggling. Even the returners on special teams have had shaky moments in the midst of touchdown returns, with muffed punts and nearly-fumbled kick returns hurting the team. Mississippi State must try to be more well-rounded on that side of the ball in order to continue competing through the final few games of the season.