Despite a valiant second-half surge, Mississippi State (1-2, 1-1) came just short of beating LSU in Death Valley last Saturday, falling 23-20.

The Bulldogs dug themselves in a deep hole quickly, down 23-3 at halftime. But two touchdowns in a matter of 40 seconds brought them within three points with just 3:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. A forced LSU three-and-out punt gave MSU the ball back with an opportunity to tie — or even win — before QB Damian Williams was sacked on fourth down to wrap things up in Baton Rouge.

Mississippi State will travel to Foxboro, Ma. this weekend to face UMass for its second nonconference game of the season. A convincing win would go a long way for the Bulldogs’ bowl hopes as a difficult schedule remains.

Here’s what coach Dan Mullen had to say during Wednesday’s SEC teleconference:

On playing at Gillette Stadium Saturday:

“It’s a great opportunity to play in an NFL stadium, and I’m excited to get back on the winning track.”

On LSU QB Danny Etling:

“He did a good job in the first half and got the ball out early before pressure got to him. He’s pretty accurate with his throws and gave those wide receivers a good chance to catch the ball.”

On his involvement in scheduling road game at UMass:

“I was involved. One of the things we looked at, where the stadium is had a lot to do with scheduling the game.”