BYU Football: 3 takeaways from Cougars loss at Mississippi State
By Zach Bigalke
3. Mississippi State rebounds from back-to-back losses, will be SEC spoiler
Let’s talk for a second about the team that took down BYU. Mississippi State had a brief moment in the AP Top 25 after knocking off LSU convincingly in September. Then back-to-back blowout losses against Georgia and Auburn sent the Bulldogs tumbling right back out of the polls, and it looked like midnight bells had pealed for the Cinderella story in the SEC West.
Given how bad BYU has been this season, it is dangerous to read too much into the win over the Cougars. But Mississippi State demonstrated a solid ability to move the ball downfield and put points on the board. The Bulldogs compiled over 500 yards of total offense with consistent gains, churning out tough yards and keeping the chains moving.
With four drives of 10 or more plays, the Bulldogs enjoyed a significant advantage in time of possession. It wasn’t a perfect game by any means, as Mississippi State gave away three turnovers to lose the takeaway battle. But that only prevented Dan Mullen‘s team from racking up an even bigger margin of victory.
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After showing that they can dominate even on an off day, Mississippi State looks once again like a spoiler in the SEC West. While they won’t win the division, they have a legitimate chance to make life miserable for a couple of contenders over the next six weeks.