Mississippi State
3-3 , 0-3
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Western Michigan
2-4 , 1-1
State Tops Western Michigan 41-28
October 07, 2023 | Football
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State started the month of October on the right foot with a 41-28 win over Western Michigan on Saturday. The Bulldogs scored 10 first-quarter points and never trailed in putting away the Broncos.
Freshman kicker Kyle Ferrie continued to be a reliable special teams force, scoring the first points of the game for the Bulldogs on a 31-yard field goal early in the first quarter.
Will Rogers and the MSU offense went to work quickly soon after, with Rogers tacking on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Mosely in the opening frame to add to the home team's lead. The senior signal-caller tossed another scoring pass late in the first half when he connected with wideout Creed Whittemore for a 16-yard score.
Western Michigan was able to tack on a touchdown before halftime, but Mississippi State went into the locker room holding on to a 17-7 lead.
Upon their return to the field for the second half, the Dawgs wasted no time in putting more points on the board. The team capped off a steady opening drive with a three-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Mike Wright.
Wright saw several opportunities on the field, going 7-of-10 passing for 57 yards. He added 24 yards on the ground to accompany his third-quarter score.
Freshman Seth Davis scored his first-ever collegiate touchdown in the third quarter. The young running back powered forward for a five-yard score and finished the game with 65 total rushing yards on 10 attempts.
Mississippi State tacked on another score with 12:31 remaining in the game as Rogers found Freddie Roberson for a 36-yard touchdown. Along with his big scoring play, Roberson led all wide receivers with five receptions for 68 yards. Lideatrick Griffin was not far behind, notching 65 receiving yards on four catches.
Kicker Nick Barr-Mira nailed a 49-yard field goal late in the game, and an interception by Shawn Preston Jr. sealed the victory for the home team with three minutes remaining.
Rogers finished the game 16-of-22 passing for 189 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, Mississippi State made key plays when it mattered most, forcing three crucial turnovers on downs. Nathaniel Watson led the way for the Dawg defense, finishing the game with nine tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks. Corey Ellington and Decamerion Richardson each had nine tackles.
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Next up for the Bulldogs:
Following next weekend's open date, Mississippi State will travel to Fayetteville to face the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, October 21. A kickoff time has not yet been announced.
Team Stats
WMU 0, MSU 3
MSU - Ferrie,Kyle 31 yd field goal 7 plays, 34 yards, TOP 02:45
WMU 0, MSU 10
MSU - Mosley,Jordan 15 yd pass from Rogers,Will (Ferrie,Kyle kick) 5 plays, 54 yards, TOP 02:30
WMU 0, MSU 17
MSU - Whittemore,Creed 16 yd pass from Rogers,Will (Ferrie,Kyle kick) 6 plays, 53 yards, TOP 03:03
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WMU 7, MSU 17
WMU - Hence,Austin 10 yd pass from Wolff,Hayden (Domschke,Palmer kick) 14 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:11
WMU 7, MSU 24
MSU - Wright,Mike 3 yd run (Ferrie,Kyle kick), 7 plays, 61 yards, TOP 02:41
WMU 14, MSU 24
WMU - Bosma,Blake 23 yd pass from Wolff,Hayden (Domschke,Palmer kick) 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:21
WMU 14, MSU 31
MSU - Davis,Seth 5 yd run (Barr-Mira,Nick kick), 5 plays, 51 yards, TOP 02:12
WMU 21, MSU 31
WMU - Abdus-Salaam,Zahir 11 yd run (Domschke,Palmer kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:21
WMU 21, MSU 38
MSU - Roberson,Freddie 36 yd pass from Rogers,Will (Barr-Mira,Nick kick) 5 plays, 59 yards, TOP 01:44
WMU 28, MSU 38
WMU - Thomas,Leroy 25 yd pass from Wolff,Hayden (Domschke,Palmer kick) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:43
WMU 28, MSU 41
MSU - Barr-Mira,Nick 49 yd field goal 6 plays, 26 yards, TOP 02:07
