STARKVILLE — For 25 minutes, Saturday’s game against Western Michigan looked like exactly what Mississippi State’s defense needed to get right after three tough outings in a row to start Southeastern Conference play.

The Broncos, a Mid-American Conference team without its starting quarterback and top running back, made the Bulldogs look like world beaters for most of the first half, picking up a total of two first downs on their first five possessions. But once Western Michigan turned to its third-string quarterback, Hayden Wolff, MSU (3-3) suddenly looked entirely beatable both through the air and on the ground.

Wolff started 12 games last season at Old Dominion, but entered Saturday having completed just three of nine passes this year with Western Michigan. He exceeded that completion total on his first drive with his team trailing 17-0 as the Broncos (2-4), using an up-tempo, no-huddle offense, drove 75 yards in 14 plays while taking barely three minutes off the clock.

That drive ended with Wolff finding tight end Austin Hence — who beat the Bulldogs’ best safety, Shawn Preston Jr., in man coverage — for a 10-yard touchdown reception that changed the complexion of the game with less than a minute remaining before halftime. Wolff finished his day 27-of-35 for 262 yards with three touchdowns and a late interception.

“Defensively, at times, it’s been feast or famine,” MSU head coach Zach Arnett said. “We have spurts where we’ve shown we’re capable of playing really good defense. We need to improve our consistency. Some of that is we have to get guys more reps. We have to do a better job of executing on a consistent basis.”

Mike Wright shows off his arm

Starting quarterback Will Rogers’ inconsistent play has led some Bulldogs fans to call for Wright, who started 11 games over the last two seasons at Vanderbilt, to get more playing time, but Wright had thrown just one pass in the maroon and white before Saturday.

Even before Rogers left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent shoulder injury, though, Wright was a big part of MSU’s offense. Wright made his best throw of the day to help the Bulldogs respond to Western Michigan’s first touchdown on the opening possession of the second half, connecting with a wide-open Lideatrick “Tulu” Griffin on play action for 29 yards to bring the ball to the Broncos’ 10-yard line.

Three plays later, Wright punctuated the drive in a more familiar manner, faking a handoff to Seth Davis and finding a running lane to the left for a 3-yard score. He threw the ball 10 times Saturday, completing seven passes for 57 yards — 48 of which were courtesy of Griffin.

“Every time his number has been called, he’s answered the call and he’s provided a spark for our offense,” Arnett said. “He got a few more opportunities and allowed us to expand the package for him. We have two quarterbacks who did a lot of really good things to spark our offense today.”

Rogers, a week after throwing three interceptions in a loss to Alabama, was an efficient 16-of-22 passing for 189 yards and three touchdowns.

Defense digs deep early in the fourth quarter

Wolff continued to gash MSU in the third quarter, leading two more touchdown drives, and when the Bulldogs’ offense went three and out after Western Michigan cut the deficit to 31-21, the Broncos got the ball right back with a chance to make it a one-possession game.

A pair of first downs through the air moved the ball into MSU territory before the start of the fourth quarter, but Western Michigan was soon faced with a fourth-and-2 at the Bulldogs’ 41. Deonte Anderson and Eric Taylor generated pressure on Wolff and forced him to make an off-balance throw, which hit receiver Leroy Thomas in the fingertips and then fell harmlessly to the grass.

The turnover on downs led to an MSU touchdown less than two minutes later as Freddie Roberson made an acrobatic catch on a deep ball from Rogers and took it in for a 36-yard score. The Broncos would again pull within 10 points but never could get any closer.

“We just need to get back to the drawing board and work it out,” said linebacker and co-captain Nathaniel “Bookie” Watson, who had two sacks Saturday. “We just have to put the pieces together. When both sides are clicking, it will be good for us.”