A win is a win is a win. 
We hear it all the time, but the phrase hit with a little extra “oomph” this Sunday around my usual coffee group. After Mississippi State University’s 39-33 overtime victory over the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, the Bulldogs were able to put a maroon and white bow atop a very hectic week off. 
If head coach Mike Leach made $500,000 dollars off of that game, his defensive coordinator Zach Arnett deserves $499,999 of it. Despite allowing 33 points to what the entire country considers a bad Auburn team, they played incredibly well. 
The return of Jaden Crumedy loomed large in the running lanes, as Auburn found staunch resistance between the tackles thanks in part to the 6-foot-5-inch, 315 pound defensive lineman’s efforts. Tyrus Wheat’s pair of sacks were game changing, and Wheat showed exactly why his efforts will be needed on Sundays in the near future. 
However, we have to talk about it. During the entire third quarter and most of the fourth, the offense looked absolutely abysmal. It looked as though there was a lack of communication between Will Rogers and his receivers, but his offensive line wasn’t lending much of a hand either. 
Were there plenty of times Rogers should have found someone sooner? Arguably so, but at the same time, the routes weren’t great during that particular stretch, and neither was his offensive line. To make matters simple, the passing game worked when it had to. However, there was one area that MSU abandoned until late in the game, and it’s an area that has allowed this offense to cause nightmares for defensive coordinators at times this season: the run game. 
MSU ended the game with a grand total of 13 total net rushing yards, the least of any game so far this year (I sure would hope so), and if the offense wants to keep teams on their toes and avoid those thick zone coverages, they must establish the run earlier. 
Woody Marks averaged 6.4 yards per carry in the affair, and despite those efforts, only got seven touches. There were only 18 official rush attempts on the night, but five of those were Rogers’ sacks, and another was a bobbled snap by punter George Georgopoulos. 
I ask you, then, oh wise Bulldog fan, do you still think Will Rogers had time to throw all night? 
This is the bottom line, not only because Stone Cold said so, but I did: a win is a win, and this late in the season, you take them however you can get them. 
The Bulldogs are now bowl eligible for a record 13th consecutive season. One of those seasons includes a three-win year, but we won’t talk about it, because again, take them where you can get them. 
Next week, it’s Bulldogs squared as MSU takes on the University of Georgia, in what I can only imagine will be a hotly-contested matchup (hopefully). Davis Wade Stadium will need to be jumping for MSU to have a chance against the current favorite for the national championship, but crazier things have happened. That game is a night game, too, with a 6 p.m. kickoff airing on ESPN.