The Good

270.75: The Bulldogs average rushing yards per game this season, which ranks third in the SEC behind Arkansas and Georgia, who have two of the deepest backfields in the conference. Mississippi State has amassed most of his rushing success through just two players — Dak Presscott and Josh Robinson — a testament to both players’ abilities and the strength of the MSU offensive line.

178.41: Dak Prescott’s quarterback rating through four games this season, which ranks second in the SEC behind only Texas A&M’s Kenny Hill. Prescott has been a dynamic threat as both a passer and a rusher, and rarely turns the ball over in commanding the Mississippi State offense. With Prescott at the helm, the sky is the limit for a Bullogs offense that returned eight starters from last season.

14: The number of sacks registered by the Mississippi State defense so far this season, an average of more than three sacks per game. The Mississippi State secondary has been questionable in defending explosive pass plays, but it has received a huge contribution from MSU’s pass rush to keep the team in ballgames.

The Bad

5: The number of fumbles lost by Mississippi State’s offense this season. With a top-flight quarterback, a stout rushing attack, big-play receivers and a powerful offensive line, the Bulldogs have all the elements of one of the best offenses in the nation. However, if the team cannot do a better job of protecting the football, the offense will never be able to reach its full potential.

0: The number of kickoff returns of at least 30 yards recorded by Mississippi State’s special teams this year. Only one other SEC team can claim that feat (Ole Miss), and the lack of an explosive return game will continue to hurt MSU’s average field position if it cannot find a way to create a game-breaking return once in a while. Simply having the threat of a dangerous returner can make all the difference, but to this point Mississippi State has not had one.

72.22: Mississippi State’s red zone conversion rate, which is the worst in the SEC. Two teams in the conference (South Carolina and Auburn), have scored on 100 percent of their red zone trips, so failing to even score on three-fourths of their red zone trips is a tremendous shortcoming for the Bulldogs. Mississippi State must capitalize on scoring opportunities against the slew of ranked teams from the SEC West it’ll face the rest of the year.