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In the weeks following the regular season, coach Dan Mullen dealt with the annual rumors about him leaving for another job.
And then Miami, one of those programs rumored to be pursuing him, hired his defensive coordinator, Manny Diaz. Earlier, speculation linked Mullen to the Virginia Tech opening.
Mullen appeals to other athletics directors because he has 55 wins in Starkville, third all-time, and he’s led the Bulldogs to four straight bowl wins and six straight bowl appearances. And he’s succeeded in college football’s toughest division.
Here are moments to remember about this season at Mississippi State:
5. Beat N.C. State 51-28 to win the Belk Bowl.
The win gave the Bulldogs the first back-to-back nine-win (they won 10 in 2014) seasons in program history. Dak Prescott passed for 380 yards and four touchdowns in the rain. His favorite receiver, Fred Ross, became just the second player in school history to collect 1,000 receiving yards. It all led to a new phrase from Mullen, “Here at Mississippi State, we win.”
4. With a 20-point fourth quarter, the Bulldogs beat Arkansas, 51-50.
Prescott passed for 501 yards and five TDs after the Bulldogs squandered a 17-point halftime lead. A week after the Alabama loss, many fans had to wonder if it was the start of a trend. The win wasn’t sealed, though, until Beniquez Brown blocked Cole Hedlund’s 29-yard field-goal attempt.
3. Comeback not enough against Leonard Fournette, LSU.
In the second week of the season, Fournette rushed for 159 yards and three TDs in the SEC opener for both teams at Davis Wade Stadium. Thirteen fourth-quarter points were not enough for Mississippi State. Devon Bell’s 52-yard field-goal attempt missed in the final seconds following a 5-yard delay of game penalty.
2. Final home game (loss to Ole Miss) for Dak Prescott, senior class.
The top-25 matchup between two eight-win teams was the first time in Egg Bowl history that both teams were nationally ranked in back-to-back seasons. Thousands packed the Dawg Walk before the game to see Prescott and the other seniors before their last home game. But the Rebels built a 28-3 halftime lead and coasted to a 38-27 win. It was the second time in 12 years the road team won, and Ole Miss did it on the strength of seven sacks. Mullen and the seniors were quick to point out that the senior class won 33 games (34 after the bowl win) and were picked to finish last this season in the division.
1. Loss to Alabama
Looking to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Crimson Tide, the Bulldogs could have also made a mess of the SEC West race, and improved their own chances. After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama scored 21 second-quarter as the game quickly unraveled for the Bulldogs. Alabama RB Derrick Henry rolled to 204 rushing yards and two TDs in the 31-6 rout. Alabama had nine sacks. The game was also remembered for Alabama’s Jonathan Allen accidentally bumping into Nick Saban to cause a bruise and cut on the coach’s cheek.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
