Mississippi State will get a break from SEC play this weekend as they'll welcome Bowling Green to town to start a three-game homestand.

The Falcons (1-2) are coming off back-to-back overtime thrillers and just upset Marshall in a 34-31 victory. An experienced senior quarterback and disruptive Bowling Green pass rush could make this a closer game than one might expect.

Here are three keys to success for the Bulldogs to not let that happen:

1) Pressure the Quarterback

Bowling Green's Matt McDonald has been one of the most efficient passers in the country this season, with ten touchdowns and zero interceptions. The former Boston College Eagle is in his third season with the Falcons and has improved significantly from last season, having almost matched his 2021 total of 12 touchdowns three games in.

McDonald doesn't excel in the running game, with 132 rushing yards on 123 attempts in his career, so the Bulldogs will need to put some pressure on the senior to slow down a Bowling Green offense averaging 36 points per game. Mississippi State will need Nathan Pickering, Randy Charlton, and Tyrus Wheat will have to win off the edge to force McDonald into some bad throws. Zach Arnett will likely use some blitzes with multiple linebackers rushing the QB to throw McDonald off his game.

2) Protect the Football

In a game that sees Mississippi State as a 30-point favorite at most sportsbooks, Mississippi State will have to protect the football if they want to cover that margin. Bowling Green is coming off a 17-point upset victory over Marshall, and a large part of that was winning the turnover battle 2-0.

Will Rogers will have to be smart with the football going up against a Bowling Green defense that is tied for 7th in the country with 12.0 sacks. More importantly, the Bulldog ballcarriers can't cough up the football if they want to cruise to an easy victory. Fumbles have been something Mississippi State has struggled with this season, putting the ball on the ground five times and losing three of them.

3) Be Consistent

The one theme that Head Coach Mike Leach keeps preaching is consistency. Mississippi State had ample opportunity to come out of Baton Rouge with a victory, but mistakes such as dropped passes missed kicks, muffed punts, and bad play recognition led to their demise. If the Bulldogs can play with consistency on Saturday, they should be able to pick up a victory without any stress.