Nearly 100 days ago, the media picked Mississippi State to finish dead last in the SEC West. That prediction appears spot-on midway through the 2016.

The Bulldogs failed to hit a game-winning field goal in the opening game, did not hold off BYU and ran out of time in Baton Rouge against a struggling LSU squad. After letting a few wins slip away, the team now stares down the most daunting portion of its schedule needing four wins to qualify for the postseason.

Offense

In the first half of the season, Nick Fitzgerald struggled to carry the same load as previous Dan Mullen quarterbacks like Alex Smith, Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott. Fitzgerald completed 55 percent of passes for 998 yards with 8 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Those numbers are efficient, but they do not represent an offensive attack that worries defensive coordinators.

The problem is compounded when looking at contributions, or lack thereof, from other players. Fitzgerald is also the leading rusher with 431 yards on 80 carries — more than double the yardage gained by Brandon Holloway. Although Holloway did not play against BYU due to injury, he failed to rush for 50 yards in four of five games this season and has still not reached 100 yards rushing in a game this season.

Senior running back Ashton Shumpert has not impressed in relief, suggesting either a lack of talent in the backfield or (more likely) a lack of ability on the offensive line.

Defense

The Bulldogs are pesky on defense. They’ve shown the ability to defend a running game, a mobile quarterback and a pass-heavy offense. Mississippi State has not shut anyone down completely, but the defense has put the offense in a good position at times. After six games, the Bulldogs have given up 2,168 total yards, which is the 29th-best number in the nation. From a yardage standpoint, the defense has found success.

However, the Bulldogs are giving up 26.5 points per contest, which suggests the team is not holding teams to field goals in the red zone, which it isn’t. Mississippi State has allowed opponents to score 16 TDs in 22 trips, a rate of 72.7 percent that ranks 13th in the SEC. Still, only Auburn and UMass scored four or more touchdowns against the Bulldogs. BYU needed overtime to get to 28 points. After six games, Mississippi State’s defense is arguably the most impressive when considering preseason expectations.

Freshman Class

ESPN ranked Mississippi State’s 2016 recruiting class 33rd in the nation. So far, no true freshmen appear to be exceeding expectations in a way that is visible on the field. Jamal Couch, a 6-foot-4, 223-pound receiver, caught 3 passes, including a clutch 17-yard snag against South Carolina. Tight end Farrod Green showed promise when he caught 3 passes for 38 yards in a win against UMass.

However, the most impressive is redshirt freshman Leo Lewis. The highly touted linebacker recruit from the 2015 signing class racked up 43 total tackles in the first half of the season, including 7 solo tackles against BYU. Lewis could wind up being one of the most impressive tacklers on the Bulldogs’ roster and in the SEC in years to come.

Returning Stars

In the past few years, Mississippi State lost some of its best players in recent memory: Dak Prescott, Bernardrick McKinney, Darius Slay, etc., all of whom are finding success in the NFL. This year, wide receiver Fred Ross entered the year as one of the most highly regarded targets in the conference and probably the most recognizable player on the Mississippi State roster.

Ross earned that reputation by hauling in 88 passes for over 1,000 yards and 5 touchdowns as a junior. In his senior campaign, Ross averaged the exact same yards per reception (11.4) and has already matched his 2015 touchdown total. Ross is on pace for considerably less receptions, though. Through six games, he has caught 34 total passes.

Ross’ impressive receiving numbers confirm his ability to get open, get down the field and get in the end zone. They also suggest that the offense is not taking advantage of him and/or that Fitzgerald is not finding him.

Mississippi State does not appear to have the talent to be a legitimate threat to upset any of the heavy favorites it will face in the second half of the season. However, the Bulldogs will be a thorn in the side for at least one of those teams.