Mississippi State’s defense has made a significant early-season improvement in 2026, helping the Bulldogs open 3-0. The unit ranks No. 27 nationally in total defense, up from No. 94 at the same point last season.
Mississippi State is allowing 12.3 points per game, which ranks No. 23 in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Bulldogs have allowed 47 points this season, the fewest through four games for the program since 1999.
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The pass defense ranks No. 14 nationally while allowing 129.0 passing yards per game. Mississippi State has not allowed an opponent to reach 200 passing yards in a game this season.
The turnaround has come under new defensive coordinator Zach Arnett. Last season’s Mississippi State defense was considered the worst in the Southeastern Conference, according to the source.
Jon Ross Myers founded Mississippi News Group in 2013. Before founding the organization, he worked at The Daily Mississippian, The Marion Salute and The Southern Sentinel. A Mississippi journalist and writer based in Ripley, he received second place in poetry in the 2025 William Faulkner Literary Competition for "The Garden."
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