The good, Bad, And Ugly From Mississippi State Football’s Loss As They Are Adamant On Regrouping

What was good, what was bad, and what was ugly from State’s loss in the desert?

Saturday night was a tough time for Mississippi State football, as the Bulldogs fell 30-23 to Arizona State in a performance that left much to be desired. Let’s break down what was good, bad, and downright ugly about the game.

The Good: Mississippi State’s Resilience
One positive takeaway from the game is that the Bulldogs didn’t give up, even when the score seemed hopeless. With Arizona State extending their lead to 30-3 midway through the third quarter, it would have been easy to pack it in. Instead, Mississippi State regrouped offensively, managed to score, and the defense stepped up to make some stops. This effort brought them within one score with over five minutes remaining. Though they ultimately fell short, their determination to fight back was commendable.

The Bad: Struggles in the Run Game
Despite decent overall statistics in Week 1, Mississippi State’s running game struggled against Arizona State. The team finished with just 30 rushing yards, and even when factoring in Blake Shapen’s negative yardage, they ran the ball 19 times for only 52 yards—a dismal average of 2.7 yards per carry on designed runs. This offensive strategy is meant to generate easy gains on the ground, but they struggled to gain any traction, undermining their offensive efficiency.

The Ugly: Run Defense Woes
In terms of run defense, Mississippi State faced significant challenges. Arizona State dominated on the ground, racking up 359 rushing yards—the highest total allowed by the Bulldogs since 2016. RB Cam Skattebo was particularly impressive, carrying the ball 33 times for an incredible 262 yards. Outside of a couple of drives in the second half, Mississippi State had no solution for the Sun Devils’ rushing attack. Their decision to use five-man boxes for most of the game backfired, compounded by numerous missed tackles. Given that Arizona State showed limited offensive capabilities otherwise, it raises concerns about how the run defense will hold up during SEC play if adjustments are not made.