STARKVILLE — Mississippi State could not be reaching its bye week at a better time.
The Bulldogs defeated Western Michigan on Saturday, 41-28, to snap a three-game losing streak. But MSU still has major issues defensively, injuries up and down the depth chart in all three phases, and a lot to work before taking the field again on Oct. 21 at Arkansas.
“When you lose, everyone’s frustrated,” Bulldogs head coach Zach Arnett said. “They’ve done what we’ve asked them to do, and to come out with a hard-fought victory, they deserve to enjoy this one. We’ll go into the bye week, take advantage of it, we have to get some guys rested up.”
MSU (3-3) dominated the line of scrimmage on both offense and defense early on, and it appeared the Bulldogs might cruise to a stress-free win. The Broncos (2-4), who were without starting quarterback Treyson Bourguet and top running back Jalen Buckley, managed just two first downs on their first five possessions as the Bulldogs built up a 17-0 lead.
Quarterback Will Rogers bounced back from a three-interception performance last week against Alabama and spread the ball nicely among his receivers, finishing 16-of-22 for 189 yards and three touchdowns for the Bulldogs without turning the ball over. He found Jordan Mosley for his first collegiate touchdown reception in the first quarter, then connected with freshman Creed Whittemore late in the second quarter for his first touchdown catch since the season opener.
The tide began to turn when Western Michigan inserted third-stringer Hayden Wolff at quarterback with four minutes to go in the first half. With Wolff at the controls, the Broncos raced straight to the line of scrimmage after each play, not allowing the defense time to catch its breath, and got on the board with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ended on a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Austin Hence.
“Obviously, he found some guys versus zone coverage and found some throws,” Arnett said. “The momentum flipped on us, and all of a sudden we had trouble getting it back there until the end of the game.”
Western Michigan had a chance to make it a one-score game before halftime after Simeon Price fumbled the ensuing kickoff return, giving the Broncos the ball right back in MSU territory. But the Bulldogs’ defense dug in just enough, and Palmer Domschke missed a 42-yard field goal attempt to keep it a 10-point game.
MSU responded upon receiving the ball to start the second half as backup quarterback Mike Wright, a transfer from Vanderbilt who had thrown just one pass in a Bulldogs uniform prior to Saturday, hit a wide-open Lideatrick “Tulu” Griffin on play action to bring the ball to Western Michigan’s 10. Wright paid it off with a 3-yard run for his third rushing touchdown of the season.
Griffin did not play in the first half, which Arnett said was due to an “internal matter” related to accountability. He caught all four balls thrown his way in the second half for 65 yards.
“(Wright) is definitely a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands,” receiver Freddie Roberson said. “I hope later on in the season, teams start taking notice of that and coaches realize that Mike really has a lot of potential to do more than just run the ball. He can be an all-around quarterback if he’s just given the chance.”
Western Michigan’s no-huddle offense continued to gash MSU’s defense both through the air and on the ground, though. Wolff found his other tight end, Blake Bosma, wide open over the middle for a 23-yard touchdown on the Broncos’ next drive.
The Bulldogs were content to settle for a field goal on their next possession, but Western Michigan’s Bilhal Kone was penalized for roughing the kicker even as freshman Kyle Ferrie split the uprights from 28 yards away. Ferrie was injured on the play and did not return, but freshman running back Seth Davis scored the first touchdown of his collegiate career one play later.
“We knew we had to keep on going, keep fighting to the very end,” Davis said. “That’s what we kept doing to get the win.”
MSU again allowed Western Michigan to march down the field with ease as the Broncos used a 29-yard run by CJ Hester on fourth down from their own side of the field to set up another touchdown. But after they finally got a fourth-down stop early in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs punched back with Rogers throwing a deep ball to Roberson, who hauled it in while reaching back over a defender for his first touchdown in the maroon and white.
With Justin Robinson out for the second straight game and Griffin sidelined for the first half, Roberson, a graduate transfer from Eastern Washington, had five catches for 68 yards and the acrobatic score.
Wolff quickly led Western Michigan down the field for another touchdown to cut the Broncos’ deficit to 38-28, by which point the injuries were really piling up for MSU.
Rogers, Marks leave game early
Lead running back Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks, who was not at full strength coming in, twisted his leg in the second quarter and did not return.
Receiver Jaden Walley and linebacker Donterry Russell both headed to the medical tent in the second half, and Rogers exited the game midway through the fourth quarter with an apparent shoulder injury. He returned to the sideline without pads or a helmet, and Arnett did not give an update postgame on either Rogers or Marks. The Bulldogs were also missing tight end Ryland Goede, defensive lineman De’Monte Russell and running back Jeffery Pittman.
Nick Barr-Mira, who transferred in the offseason from UCLA, came up big in Ferrie’s absence with a 49-yard field goal to account for the game’s final points. Safety Shawn Preston Jr. sealed the win moments later, grabbing an interception that he tipped to himself and hauled in while lying on his back.
“The offense did a tremendous job of answering the call every single time,” Arnett said. “That’s what good teams do. You’re struggling on one (side of the ball), the other side finds a way to pick them up and make a play. This is a game of momentum, so credit both sides for fighting hard until the end. And then we were able to get some stops there at the end with the defense.”
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