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'{{Infobox NCAA football school | CurrentSeason = 2013 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team | TeamName = Mississippi State Bulldogs football | Image = Mississippi State Bulldogs.svg | ImageSize = 150 | Helmet = | ImageSize2 = | HeadCoachDisplay = Dan Mullen | HeadCoachLink = Dan Mullen | HeadCoachYear = 5th | HCWins = 36 | HCLosses = 28 | HCTies = | Stadium = Davis Wade Stadium|Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field | StadiumBuilt = 1914 | StadCapacity = 61,337 (beginning with 2014 season) | StadSurface = Grass | Location = [[Starkville, Mississippi]] | ConferenceDisplay= SEC | ConferenceLink = Southeastern Conference | ConfDivision = SEC Western Division | FirstYear = 1895 | Athletic Director= Scott Stricklin | Radio Announcers = Jim Ellis and Matt Wyatt | WebsiteName = HailState.com | WebsiteURL = http://www.hailstate.com/ | ATWins = 516 | ATLosses = 549 | ATTies = 39 | ATPercentage = .482 | BowlWins = 11 | BowlLosses = 7 | BowlTies = | ConfTitles = 1 ([[Southeastern Conference|SEC]] 1941) | DivTitles = 1 (SEC West 1998) | Heismans = | AllAmericans = 2<ref>http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2011/Awards.pdf 2011 NCAA Football Records - Award Winners</ref> | uniform = File:SEC-Uniform-MSU.png | Color1 = '''Primary:'''<br/>Maroon | Color1Hex = 660000 | Color2 = White | Color2Hex = FFFFFF | Color3 = <br/>'''Secondary:'''<br/> Gray | Color3Hex = 736F6E | Color4 = Gold | Color4Hex = C7A317 | FightSong = [[Hail State]] | MascotDisplay = Bully | MascotLink = Bully (Mascot) | MarchingBand = [[Famous Maroon Band]] | PagFreeLabel = Rivals | PagFreeValue = [[Ole Miss Rebels football|Ole Miss Rebels]]<br/>[[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama Crimson Tide]]<br/>[[Kentucky Wildcats football|Kentucky Wildcats]] }} The '''Mississippi State Bulldogs football''' team represents [[Mississippi State University]] (MSU) in the sport of [[American football]]. The Bulldogs compete in the [[Football Bowl Subdivision]] (FBS) of the [[National Collegiate Athletics Association]] (NCAA) and the Western Division of the [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC). They are currently coached by [[Dan Mullen]]. Over its history, Mississippi State has produced an SEC championship team in 1941 and a divisional championship team in 1998, along with 16 postseason bowl appearances. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124 NFL players, including 11 first-round draft picks.<ref>http://www.hailstate.com 2008 Mississippi State Football Media Guide: Media Information and Record Book</ref> The Bulldogs play their home games at [[Davis Wade Stadium|Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field]], the second oldest football stadium in NCAA Division I-FBS, which has a seating capacity of 61,337 (beginning with the 2014 season). ==History== ===Early History (1895-1938)=== Mississippi State (then known as Mississippi A&M and its mascot was the Aggies) first fielded a football team in 1895. The team was coached by [[W. M. Matthews]]. During his one-season tenure, Matthews posted an overall record of zero wins and two losses (0–2).<ref name="CFDW">{{Cite web |last=DeLassus |first=David |title=W. M. Matthews Records by Year |publisher=[[College Football Data Warehouse]] |url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_year_by_year.php?coachid=1476 |accessdate=February 19, 2012}}</ref> He is also credited with the selection of what became the official school colors, [[Maroon (color)|maroon]] and [[white]], prior to the Aggies first game ever played at [[Union University]].<ref>{{cite book |title=A Place Called Mississippi: Collected Narratives |last=Barnwell |first=Marion |year=1997 |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |location=Jackson, Mississippi |isbn=0-87805-964-4 |page=241 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=KpV3A6jYTVoC&pg=PA241&lpg=PA241&dq=%22W.+M.+Matthews%22+%22Mississippi%22&source=bl&ots=kdFPQdiMDs&sig=5HdJTq6ocAm3zmqLH47ram3DX0Y&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9wFBT_TKGcG-2gWJxu2cCA&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22W.%20M.%20Matthews%22%20%22Mississippi%22&f=false |accessdate=February 19, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=2006 Mississippi State Football Media Guide |editor1-first=Joe |editor1-last=Galbraith |editor2-first=Mike |editor2-last=Nemeth |year=2006 |publisher=EBSCO Media |location=Birmingham, Alabama |page=126 |url=http://www.nmnathletics.com/fls/16800/pdf/fb/fb_06mg_history.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=16800 |accessdate=February 19, 2012 |format=PDF}}</ref> [[Daniel S. Martin]] left rival [[Ole Miss Rebels football|Ole Miss]] and served as the Aggies' head football coach from 1903-1906. His final record in Starkville was 10-11-3. [[W. D. Chadwick]] led the Aggies from 1909-1913. His final record was 29-12-2. During his five-season tenure, Mississippi A&M appeared in and won its first bowl game, the 1911 [[Bacardi Bowl]]. [[Earle C. Hayes]] replaced Chadwick and led Mississippi A&M to 15-8-2 record from 1914-1916. Mississippi A&M became changed its name to Mississippi State in 1925 and the mascot was changed from Aggies to Maroons in 1932. [[Ralph Sasse]] enjoyed success as Mississippi State's head football coach. After leading Mississippi State to a 20&ndash;10&ndash;2 record in three years and an appearance in the 1937 [[Orange Bowl]], a loss, Sasse stunned the students and players by resigning from his head coach's duties, following a doctor's orders after a sudden nervous breakdown.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sasse Confined to Home After Giving Up Post |author=[[Associated Press|AP]] |url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MIUcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YWQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2124%2C2985320 |newspaper=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]] |date=November 11, 1937 |accessdate=February 11, 2011}}</ref> ===Allyn McKeen era (1939-1948)=== [[File:Allyn McKeen.jpg|150 px|thumb|Coach McKeen]] [[Allyn McKeen]] left [[Memphis Tigers football|Memphis]] to become head football coach at Mississippi State, where he compiled a 65-19-3 record in ten seasons. In 1940, he was named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year after leading Mississippi State to its only undefeated season in school history and it's second Orange Bowl appearance, a victory. The following year, 1941, his Maroons squad captured the first and only Southeastern Conference championship in program history. McKeen retired from coaching in 1948 after being fired by Athletic Director Dudy Noble because of a 4-4-1 season.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nemeth|first=Mike|title=Mississippi State Football Vault (College Vault)|year=2009|publisher=Whitman Publishing|isbn=9780794828073}}</ref> He was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] as a coach in 1991. Mississippi State did not field a football team in 1943. ===Arthur Morton era (1949-1951)=== [[Arthur Morton (American football)|Arthur Morton]] left [[VMI Keydets football|VMI]] to become MSU's head football coach after McKeen's retirement. Morton's Maroons posted struggling records of 0-8-1, 4-5 and 4-5 for a grand total of 8-18-1 before Morton's firing. ===Murray Warmath era (1952-1953)=== [[Murray Warmath]] came to Mississippi State from his post as line coach at [[Army Cadets football|Army]] and posted records of 5-4 and 5-2-3 for a grand total of 10-6-3 before he was fired. Warmath went on to have a very successful stint as the head football coach at [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota]] after his tenure at MSU. ===Darrell Royal era (1954-1955)=== [[Darrell Royal]] came to Mississippi State from the [[Canadian Football League|CFL]]'s [[Edmonton Eskimos]] and put up back to back 6-4 records in his two seasons as the Maroons head football coach. Royal resigned after just two seasons to accept the head football coach position at [[Washington Huskies football|Washington]]. Royal would go on to achieve great successes and solidify his place among the all-time greatest college football coaches at [[Texas Longhorns football|Texas]]. ===Wade Walker era (1956-1961)=== [[Wade Walker]] was promoted from line coach to head coach following Royal's departure. Walker compiled a 22–32–2 record over his 6 season tenure.<ref>[http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv07/CFHSNv07n4a.pdf Charles "Bud" Wilkinson] (PDF), College Football Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. VII, No. II, August 1994.</ref><ref>[http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_year_by_year.php?coachid=2421 Wade Walker Records by Year], College Football Data Warehouse, retrieved June 17, 2009.</ref> The Mississippi State Maroons posted a lackluster 2–7–1 record in 1959. The following year, Walker's Maroons improved to 5-5, but students, fans and alumni demanded his ouster. University president [[Dean W. Colvard]] relented and fired Walker as football coach, but kept him on as athletic director, a post he kept until 1966.<ref name=maroon>Michael B. Ballard, [http://books.google.com/books?id=65J5gDduWJ4C ''Maroon and White: Mississippi State University, 1878-2003''], p. 144, University Press of Mississippi, 2008, ISBN 1-57806-999-8.</ref> MSU changed its mascot from Maroons to Bulldogs in 1960. ===Paul Davis era (1962-1966)=== [[Paul E. Davis|Paul Davis]] was promoted from assistant coach to head coach following Walker's firing. His teams went 20&ndash;38&ndash;2 overall and 9&ndash;22&ndash;2 in the [[Southeastern Conference]] in Davis' five seasons. The Bulldogs had a 7&ndash;2&ndash;2 record in 1963, earning its first postseason bowl game since 1939.<ref name=KnoxvilleObit>Strange, Mike. [http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/mar/31/davis-former-sec-coach-dies-at-87/ "Davis, former SEC coach, dies at 87"], ''[[Knoxville News Sentinel]]'', March 31, 2009. Accessed April 6, 2009.</ref> The team finished the season with a 16&ndash;12 victory over [[NC State Wolfpack football|North Carolina State]] in front of 8,309 fans at the [[1963 Liberty Bowl]] played in a bitter cold [[Philadelphia]].<ref name=APObit>via ''[[Associated Press]]'. [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4033186 "Ex-Bulldogs coach Davis dies at 87"], ''[[ESPN]]'', April 1, 2009. Accessed April 1, 2009.</ref> Mississippi State was able to convert two botched North Carolina State punts into touchdowns, and a 13&ndash;0 lead at the first quarter.<ref>White, Gordon S.. Jr. [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20611FB345912718DDDAB0A94DA415B838AF1D3 "N. Carolina State Bows; Miss. State's Early Attack Tops N.C. State in Liberty Bowl, 16-12 Ball Barely Reaches Long March Starts"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 22, 1963. Accessed April 6, 2009.</ref> [[United Press International]] named Davis the [[Southeastern Conference football individual awards#Coach of the Year|SEC Coach of the Year]] for the 1963 season.<ref name=KnoxvilleObit/> After a lackluster 2&ndash;8 record in 1966, MSU terminated Davis, as well as athletic director Wade Walker.<ref>Via ''[[Associated Press]]''. [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20E17FD3E58117B93C3A81789D95F428685F9 "Football, Athletic Heads Out at Mississippi State"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 11, 1966. Accessed April 6, 2009.</ref> ===Charles Shira era (1967-1972)=== [[Charles Shira]], who had been defensive coach for the [[Texas Longhorns football|University of Texas]], was named to fill the head coaching position as well as the vacant post of Athletic Director.<ref>via ''[[United Press International]]''. [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50711FF3B5F137A93C0A8178AD85F438685F9 "Shira Gets Two Posts At Mississippi State"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', January 12, 1967. Accessed April 6, 2009.</ref> In his first season, his team won two games, followed by none the following year.<ref name=maroon/> Mississippi State improved to 3–7 in 1969.<ref name=maroon/> That year, Shira served as the coach for the Gray squad in the [[Blue-Gray Classic]].<ref>[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bPYeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-YwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1683,5143454&dq=charles-shira&hl=en 32nd Blue-Gray Tilt Set in Montgomery], ''Sarasota Journal'', December 26, 1969.</ref> Mississippi State posted a surprising six-win season in 1970, including a victory over rival [[Ole Miss Rebels football|Ole Miss]]. For the accomplishment, the SEC named Shira its [[Southeastern Conference football individual awards#Coach of the Year|Coach of the Year]].<ref name=maroon>Michael B. Ballard, [http://books.google.com/books?id=65J5gDduWJ4C ''Maroon and White: Mississippi State University, 1878–2003''], p. 201, University Press of Mississippi, 2008, ISBN 1-57806-999-8.</ref> In 1972, having compiled a record of 16–45–2, Shira resigned as head coach to focus on his duties as athletic director.<ref name=funeral>[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4hwsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LckEAAAAIBAJ&pg=971,547209&dq=mississippi-state+athletic-director&hl=en Burial to be in Starkville; Shira Funeral Services Today], ''Florence Times-Tri Cities Daily'', January 3, 1976.</ref> ===Bob Tyler era (1973-1978)=== [[Bob Tyler]] was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach of the Bulldogs football team after Shira's resignation. Tyler led State to a 9&ndash;3 season and a victory in the 1974 [[Sun Bowl]] over [[North Carolina Tar Heels football|North Carolina]]. During that season, his team beat perennial powerhouses [[1974 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia]] and [[LSU Tigers football|LSU]]. The Bulldogs' record was 6&ndash;4&ndash;1 in 1975, and it was an impressive 9&ndash;2 in 1976, ending the season ranked #20 in the [[AP Poll]]. His team compiled a 5&ndash;6 record in 1977, and he went 6&ndash;5 in his final season with the Bulldogs. Mississippi State was placed on probation by the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA prior]] to the 1975 season due to alleged improper benefits to student athletes. The school sought and won court approval to play in an adverse legal opinion to the NCAA. Although the alleged infraction was trivial,<ref>http://www.leagle.com/decision/19771424352So2d1072_11393</ref> the NCAA forced the school to forfeit most games it won in 1975, 1976, and 1977.<ref>[https://web1.ncaa.org/LSDBi/exec/miSearch?miSearchSubmit=publicReport&key=293&publicTerms=THIS%20PHRASE%20WILL%20NOT%20BE%20REPEATED 1975 probation announcement]</ref> ===Emory Bellard era (1979-1985)=== [[File:Emory Bellard.jpg|150 px|thumb|Coach Bellard]] [[Emory Bellard]] left [[Texas A&M Aggies football|Texas A&M]] to serve as head football coach at Mississippi State. He was head coach from 1979 until 1985. He was considered to have had one of the most innovative offensive minds in football and is credited for inventing the wishbone formation. Bellard spent seven seasons as head coach at Mississippi State University. His best years as the Bulldogs head coach were in 1980 and 1981, when his team finished 9–3 and 8–4, respectively. Also, Bellard was the coach when Mississippi State defeated number 1, undefeated [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama]] 6-3 in [[Jackson, Mississippi]] in 1980. Bellard left coaching after the 1985 season but would return in 1988 to coach at the high school level in Texas. ===Rockey Felker era (1986-1990)=== [[Rockey Felker]] returned to his alma mater, which was coming off four consecutive losing seasons, from his post as a position coach at [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama]]. At 33, Felker was the youngest coach in the country and the first Mississippi State coach in 30 years to start his career as MSU head football coach with a winning record (6&ndash;5). However, this success wouldn't last, and he suffered through four losing seasons (4&ndash;7, 1&ndash;10, 5&ndash;6, 5&ndash;6) between 1987 and 1990, and only won a total of five games in SEC play. He was fired at the end of the 1990 season, but would be brought back by his successor, [[Jackie Sherrill]], as running backs coach for two seasons and in a non-coaching position in the football program, where he serves to this day. ===Jackie Sherrill era (1991-2003)=== After three years away from the game, former [[Washington State Cougars football|Washington State]], [[Pittsburgh Panthers football|Pittsburgh]] and [[Texas A&M Aggies football|Texas A&M]] head football coach [[Jackie Sherrill]] was hired as head football coach at Mississippi State University in 1991. He took over a program that hadn't had a winning season since 1986 (and had won a total of 14 games in that stretch) and hadn't had a winning record in Southeastern Conference play since 1981. Sherrill began his Mississippi State career with an upset victory over a familiar foe from his A&M days, the Texas Longhorns (who were the defending Southwest Conference champions). In thirteen seasons in Starkville, Sherrill coached the Bulldogs to a record of 75&ndash;75&ndash;2. His 75 wins are the most in school history. He led the team to an SEC West title in 1998, and a berth in the [[1999 Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton Bowl Classic]]. A year later, he notched a 10&ndash;2 record and #12 final ranking. That #12 ranking was the highest final ranking achieved by any NCAA Division I-A school in Mississippi in over 30 years. Sherrill, along with [[Bill Snyder]] of [[Kansas State Wildcats football|Kansas State]], were among the first to use the rich JUCO systems of their respective states to help their programs progress. Although Sherrill won only eight games in his last three seasons, he built Mississippi State into a consistent winner despite playing in the same division as powerhouses like Alabama, Auburn and [[LSU Tigers football|LSU]]. He also finished with a winning record against in-state rival Ole Miss (7&ndash;6). Under Sherrill, the Bulldogs went to six bowl games; before his arrival they'd only been to seven bowls in 96 years of play. Sherrill also achieved notoriety by having his team observe the castration of a bull as a motivational technique prior to a game versus [[Texas Longhorns football|Texas]]. Unranked Mississippi State subsequently beat the #13 ranked Longhorns.<ref name=ESPN102907>Mark Schlabach, [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=3084918 Richt's motivational gamble pays off for Georgia], ESPN.com, October 29, 2007.</ref> Sherrill retired after the 2003 season, which was followed by the NCAA levying probation for four years on the program.<ref name="sports.chron.com">[http://sports.chron.com/default.asp?c=chron&page=cfoot/news/AFN3570480.htm Mississippi State penalized for violations in football]</ref> Despite a prolonged 3 year investigation by the NCAA, Mississippi State was <ref name="sports.espn.go.com">[http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1910571 http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1910571]</ref> not found guilty of any major violations, and Sherrill was never personally found guilty of any NCAA rules violations at either Mississippi State or Texas A&M. ===Sylvester Croom era (2004-2008)=== [[Sylvester Croom]], a longtime assistant in the [[National Football League|NFL]], was hired to replace the retiring Sherrill. Croom is a significant figure, because he is not only the first [[African American]] head football coach in Mississippi State history, but also in SEC football history. When Croom was hired at Mississippi State, he inherited a program that was riddled with NCAA sanctions and had not won consistently since the 1990s. After the 2007 season, during which his team won eight games, including the Liberty Bowl, Croom garnered Coach of the Year awards from three organizations. On December 4, 2007, Croom was named coach of the year by the [[American Football Coaches Association]] for region two. The AFCA has five regional coaches of the year and announces a national coach of the year each January.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071204/SPORTS030102/71204008 |title=Croom receives AFCA regional award |publisher=The ClarionLedger |date= |accessdate=2012-10-23}}</ref> That same year, on December 5, Croom was named SEC Coach of the Year twice, once as voted by the other SEC coaches and once as voted by [[The Associated Press]]. It was the first time a Mississippi State coach received the AP honor since [[Charley Shira]] in 1970 and the first time a Mississippi State coach received the coaches award since [[Wade Walker]] in 1957.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071206/SPORTS030102/712060367/0/SPORTS |title=Croom named SEC's best; Coach honored by conference, media |publisher=The ClarionLedger |date= |accessdate=2012-10-23}}</ref> After a 4–8 record in 2008, culminating with a 45–0 loss to rival [[Ole Miss Rebels football|Ole Miss]], Croom was asked by school officials to resign as the coach of the Bulldogs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://djournal.com/view/full_story/20245356/article-ESPN-film-examines--Croom-s-legacy--as-MSU-head-coach |title=ESPN film examines Croom s legacy as MSU head coach |publisher=djournal.com |date= |accessdate=2012-10-23}}</ref> ===Dan Mullen era (2009-present)=== [[Florida Gators football|Florida]] offensive coordinator [[Dan Mullen]] was hired as Mississippi State's head coach.<ref>http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3760099</ref> In Mullen's first season, the was 5-7, finishing on an upbeat with a 41-27 victory over Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. In 2010, Mullen's Bulldogs came ready after the victory from the previous year. They started 1-2, and then they had a 6-game winning streak to make their record 7-2 before losing to Alabama and Arkansas, but once again defeated Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. The team participated in a bowl game for the first time since 2007, soundly defeating Michigan in the Gator Bowl 52-14. Mullen had high hopes as his 2011 team took the field. The Bulldogs entered the season ranked number 19, and they started 1-0, before losing to the defending national champion Auburn 41-34. The season unfortunately did not live up to expectations as Mississippi State came into the Egg Bowl 5-6, needing the victory to earn a bowl bid for a second straight season. The Bulldogs defeated the Rebels 31-3, earning Mullen the distinction as the first coach to win his first three Egg Bowls since Allyn McKeen in 1941. The Bulldogs then went on to win the Music City Bowl over Wake Forest in Nashville, TN. In 2012, Mississippi State defeated Tennessee 41-31 in their sixth game of the season to qualify for another postseason appearance. After a 7-0 start the team ran into some difficulty finishing the regular season 8-4 before losing to Northwestern in the Gator Bowl. This was the first time Mississippi State appeared in a bowl three straight years since 2000. In 2013, MSU under Mullen once again needed a victory in the Egg Bowl to become bowl eligible for the fourth year in a row, and got it, beating Ole Miss 17-10 in overtime. MSU dominated [[Rice Owls football|Rice]] in the [[Liberty Bowl]] December 31, 2013 in [[Memphis, Tennessee]], by a score of 44-7. It was MSU's third bowl win in the last four years.<ref name="hailstate.com">http://www.hailstate.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=16800&ATCLID=209335516</ref> ==Championships== ===1940 season=== The 1940 Mississippi State Bulldogs finished the season 10-0-1 and defeated Georgetown 14-7 in the 1941 Orange Bowl, with key wins over Florida, Alabama, and Ole Miss, while tying with Auburn 7-7. The Bulldogs finished ranked #9 in the AP Poll and [[1940 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team|Minnesota]] was named national champions by all major polls. Some Bulldog fans retroactively claim the 1940 season as a national championship for Mississippi State, but the university neither claims nor acknowledges a national championship for the season. one of team members Curtis Eugene Saxton (Sacky) dies at 89 2-5-2014. Played center and linebacker on defence. all the guys enlisted after pearl harbor and then off to war. === Conference championships === The 1941 Mississippi State Bulldogs finished the year with a 8-1-1 record, and won the Southeastern Conference championship. The season included wins over Florida, Alabama, Auburn, and Mississippi. The Bulldogs tied with LSU and were defeated by [[Duquesne Dukes football|Duquesne]]. {|class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" style="width:75%;" |- ! style="background:#660000;" |<span style="color:white;"> Season ! style="background:#660000;" |<span style="color:white;"> Conference ! style="background:#660000;" |<span style="color:white;"> Coach ! style="background:#660000;" |<span style="color:white;"> Overall Record ! style="background:#660000;" |<span style="color:white;"> Conference Record |- style="text-align:center;" |- align="center" | 1941 || SEC || [[Allyn McKeen]] || 8-1-1 || 4-0-1 |- align="center" | colspan=3 bgcolor=660000| <span style="color:white;"> '''Conference Championships'''</span> | colspan=3 bgcolor=660000| <span style="color:white;"> '''1'''</span> |} === Divisional championships === The SEC has been split into two divisions since the 1992 season with Mississippi State competing in the SEC West since that time. In 1998, MSU finished the regular season with a 26-14 win over Alabama, a 22-21 win over [[Arkansas]], and a 28-6 win over Ole Miss in Oxford, MS. At the end of the regular season, both MSU and Arkansas finished with 6-2 conference records, but by virtue of MSU's head-to-head win over Arkansas, MSU earned the right to play in the [[1998 SEC Championship Game|SEC Championship Game]] as SEC Western Division Champions. In that game, MSU was leading eventual national champion [[Tennessee Volunteers|Tennessee]] in the fourth quarter before falling 24-14 before 74,000 fans in the [[Georgia Dome]]. They continued on to play in the [[1999 Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton Bowl Classic]] in Dallas, Texas, against a heavily favored [[Texas Longhorns football|Texas Longhorns]] team. The Bulldogs lost the game 38-11. {|class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" style="width:50%;" |- ! style="background:#660000;" |<span style="color:white;"> Season ! style="background:#660000;" |<span style="color:white;"> Division ! style="background:#660000;" |<span style="color:white;"> SEC CG Result ! style="background:#660000;" |<span style="color:white;"> Opponent ! style="background:#660000;" |<span style="color:white;"> PF ! style="background:#660000;" |<span style="color:white;"> PA |- style="text-align:center;" |- align="center" | 1998† || SEC West || '''L''' || [[1998 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]] || 14 || 24 |- align="center" | colspan=3 bgcolor=660000| <span style="color:white;"> '''Division Championships'''</span> | colspan=3 bgcolor=660000| <span style="color:white;"> '''1'''</span> |- | colspan=6 | <small>† Denotes co-champions</small> |} ==Program Achievements== {| class="wikitable" |- | SEC Champions | 1941 |- | SEC West Champions | 1998 |- | Final AP Poll Ranking | 1940, 1941, 1942, 1957, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2010 |- | Final Coaches Poll Ranking | 1963, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2010 |- | Bowl Victories* | 1911, 1940, 1963, 1974, 1981, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013 |- | Bowl Appearances* | 1911, 1936, 1940, 1963, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 |} *Years listed for Bowl victories are seasons for which they occurred. ==Recent history== ===1999 season=== The [[1999 NCAA Division I-A football season|1999]] Bulldog team finished their season with a 10&ndash;2 record, earning a final ranking of #12 nationally. During the 1999 season MSU fielded the #1 ranked defense in the country. MSU beat in-state rival Ole Miss to finish the regular season. It was Jackie Sherrill's 6th win in his first 9 games against the Rebels. In the bowl game, the Bulldogs defeated [[Clemson Tigers football|Clemson]] in the [[Chick-fil-A Bowl|Peach Bowl]], 17&ndash;7 to finish 10-2 and ranked #12. That #12 ranking is the highest final ranking of any FBS Division team in the State of Mississippi in over 40 years. ===2000 season=== The [[2000 NCAA Division I-A football season|2000]] Bulldogs finished 8&ndash;4 (4&ndash;4) in what would be [[Jackie Sherrill]]'s final winning season at MSU. The team reached the 2000 [[Independence Bowl]] where led by quarterback Wayne Madkin and running back Dontae Walker, under snowy conditions, they pulled out an exciting 43&ndash;41 overtime victory over [[Texas A&M Aggies football|Texas A&M]]. ===2007 season=== {{main|2007 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team}} The Bulldogs finished 8&ndash;5 and won the [[Liberty Bowl]] over the [[Conference USA]] Champion the [[UCF Knights football|University of Central Florida]]. Other notable wins include away victories at [[Auburn Tigers football|Auburn University]] and the [[Kentucky Wildcats football|University of Kentucky]] and home wins versus the [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|University of Alabama]] and [[Ole Miss Rebels football|Ole Miss]]. With the win over [[Ole Miss Rebels football|Ole Miss]], Mississippi State claimed the Egg Bowl trophy. ===2010 season=== {{main|2010 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team}} Mississippi State defeated the [[2010 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia Bulldogs]] and the [[2010 Florida Gators football team|Florida Gators]] in the same season for the first time in team history. The Bulldogs also defeated the [[2010 Ole Miss Rebels football team|Ole Miss Rebels]] 31-23 for the Bulldogs' second consecutive win over the in-state rival. MSU finished the season with a 52-14 win in the Gator Bowl over traditional college football power University of Michigan Wolverines. The Bulldogs finished the 2010 football season ranked 15th by the Associated Press, the highest final ranking for the school in the AP poll since finishing 13th in the nation after the 1999 season. ====Nick Bell==== On Tuesday, November 2, 2010, 20-year-old defensive end Nick Bell, who had undergone surgery that Sunday for a type of skin cancer, died after a rapid deterioration of his health;<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.globe-democrat.com/news/2010/nov/02/miss-states-nick-bell-dies-of-cancer/ | title = Miss. State's Nick Bell dies of cancer | date = 2010-10-02 | accessdate = 2010-10-02}}</ref> he had been scheduled to begin chemotherapy that day. His loss was mourned by the university and head coach Dan Mullen, who decided to meet with Bell's family on Monday night- when it became clear he was deteriorating- instead of attending the meeting of the Jackson Touchdown Club; Athletic Director [[Scott Stricklin (athletic director)|Scott Stricklin]] went instead. ===2011 season=== {{main|2011 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team}} MSU won 7 games, including beating the Ole Miss Rebels for the 3rd straight time. It was also the MSU's 4th win in the last 5 against Ole Miss. The Bulldogs went on to beat the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the Music City Bowl 23-17. The win in the Music City Bowl was the Bulldogs' 5th straight bowl win, which was tied for the longest active bowl win streak in the NCAA. ===2012 Season=== MSU started 7-0, but finished the season on a 1-5 stretch including a loss to their rival Ole Miss in their annual meeting and a loss to Northwestern in the Gator Bowl. ===2013 Season=== MSU did well outside the SEC but was 0-5 against teams, mostly in the SEC, that were in the Top 25 (losing 21-3 to #13 [[Oklahoma State Cowboys and Cowgirls|Oklahoma State]], 59-26 to #10 [[LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers|LSU]], 34-16 to #14 [[South Carolina Gamecocks|South Carolina]], 51-41 to #15 [[Texas A&M Aggies|Texas A&M]] and 20-7 to #1 Alabama). With two games left in the season MSU possessed a 4-6 record, needing to win out to achieve bowl eligibility for a record straight 4th season. Trailing 17-10 in the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks, Tyler Russell led the bulldogs down the field for a game tying score before going down with what would be a career ending injury. With little time on the clock the Razorbacks drove all the way down to the 10 yard line before Nikoe Whitley made a game saving strip to give the bulldogs the ball and allow them to force overtime. With both Tyler Russell and [[Dak Prescott]] out with injury, true freshman Damian Williams was called upon to win the game for the Bulldogs. On the very first play from scrimmage in overtime Williams scrambled 25 yards for the go ahead score. The Bulldogs would go on to win on a game ending interception by Taveze Calhoun. Just 5 days later on Thanksgiving night the Bulldogs faced arch rival Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg. Damian Williams and the MSU offense were unable to score most of the night and again found themselves trailing to start the 4th quarter. With the team behind 10-7 Dak Prescott, who had been medically cleared to play but had been held out due to injury, entered the game. Prescott quickly led the Bulldogs down the field into field goal range to again force overtime. In overtime, facing 4th and 2 from the 3 yard line, the Bulldogs opted to go for the touchdown rather than the field goal. Dak Prescott successfully rushed into the left side of the end zone for the score. On the ensuing possession, it appeared that Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace was headed to the end zone to enter the score, but Nikoe Whitley once again ended the game by relieving Wallace of the ball and sending the Bulldogs to their record straight 4th straight bowl appearance. The Bulldogs faced the [[Conference USA]] champion [[Rice Owls]] in the Autozone [[Liberty Bowl]] on Dec 31, 2013 in [[Memphis, Tennessee]], scoring 44 unanswered points after an early Rice touchdown to win 44-7. ==Notable coaches== ===Allyn McKeen=== From 1939 to 1948, [[Allyn McKeen]] coached at Mississippi State, where he compiled a 65-19-3 record. In 1940, he was named the Southeastern Conference football individual awards SEC Coach of the Year after leading Mississippi State to its only undefeated season in school history. The following year, his squad captured the first and only Southeastern Conference championship in program history. ===Emory Bellard=== (December 17, 1927 – February 10, 2011) Bellard was head coach at Mississippi State University from 1979 until 1985. He was considered to have had one of the most innovative offensive minds in football and is credited for inventing the wishbone formation. Bellard spent seven seasons as head coach at Mississippi State University. His best years as the Bulldogs head coach were in 1980 and 1981, when his team finished 9–3 and 8–4, respectively. Also, Bellard was the coach when Mississippi State defeated number 1, undefeated Alabama 6-3 in Jackson, Mississippi in 1980. ===Jackie Sherrill=== After three years away from the game, [[Jackie Sherrill]] was hired as head coach at Mississippi State University in 1991. He took over a program that hadn't had a winning season since 1986 (and had won a total of 14 games in that stretch) and hadn't had a winning record in Southeastern Conference play since 1981. Sherrill began his Mississippi State career with an upset victory over a familiar foe from his A&M days, the Texas Longhorns (who were the defending Southwest Conference champions). In thirteen seasons in Starkville, Sherrill coached the Bulldogs to a record of 75&ndash;75&ndash;2. His 75 wins are the most in school history. He led the team to an SEC West title in 1998, and a berth in the [[1999 Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton Bowl Classic]]. A year later, he notched a 10&ndash;2 record and #12 final ranking. That #12 ranking was the highest final ranking achieved by any NCAA Division I-A school in Mississippi in over 30 years. Sherrill, along with [[Bill Snyder]] of [[Kansas State Wildcats football|Kansas State]], were among the first to use the rich JUCO systems of their respective states to help their programs progress. Although Sherrill won only eight games in his last three seasons, he built Mississippi State into a consistent winner despite playing in the same division as powerhouses like Alabama, Auburn and [[LSU Tigers football|LSU]]. He also finished with a winning record against in-state rival Ole Miss (7&ndash;6). Under Sherrill, the Bulldogs went to six bowl games; before his arrival they'd only been to seven bowls in 96 years of play. Sherrill also achieved notoriety by having his team observe the castration of a bull as a motivational technique prior to a game versus Texas. Unranked Mississippi State subsequently beat the #13 ranked Longhorns.<ref name=ESPN102907>Mark Schlabach, [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=3084918 Richt's motivational gamble pays off for Georgia], ESPN.com, October 29, 2007.</ref> Sherrill retired after the 2003 season, which was followed by the NCAA levying probation for four years on the program.<ref name="sports.chron.com"/> Despite a prolonged 3 year investigation by the NCAA, Mississippi State was <ref name="sports.espn.go.com"/> not found guilty of any major violations, and Sherrill was never personally found guilty of any NCAA rules violations at either Mississippi State or Texas A&M. ===Dan Mullen=== In 2009 after the resignation of [[Sylvester Croom]], Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen was hired as Mississippi State's head coach. In Mullen's first season, the was 5-7, finishing on an upbeat with a 41-27 victory over Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. In 2010, Mullen's Bulldogs came ready after the victory from the previous year. They started 1-2, and then they had a 6-game winning streak to make their record 7-2 before losing to Alabama and Arkansas, but once again defeated Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. The team participated in a bowl game for the first time since 2007, soundly defeating Michigan in the Gator Bowl 52-14. Mullen had high hopes as his 2011 team took the field. The Bulldogs entered the season ranked number 19, and they started 1-0, before losing to eventual national champion Auburn 41-34. The season unfortunately did not live up to expectations as Mississippi State came into the Egg Bowl 5-6, needing the victory to earn a bowl bid for a second straight season. The Bulldogs defeated the Rebels 31-3, earning Mullen the distinction as the first coach to win his first three Egg Bowls since Allyn McKeen in 1941. The Bulldogs then went on to win the Music City Bowl over Wake Forest in Nashville, TN. In 2012, Mississippi State defeated Tennessee 41-31 in their sixth game of the season to qualify for another postseason appearance. After a 7-0 start the team ran into some difficulty finishing the regular season 8-4 before losing to Northwestern in the Gator Bowl. This was the first time Mississippi State appeared in a bowl three straight years since 2000. In 2013, MSU under Mullen once again needed a victory in the Egg Bowl to become bowl eligible for the fourth year in a row, and got it, beating Ole Miss 17-10 in overtime. MSU flattened the [[Rice Owls]] in the [[Liberty Bowl]] December 31, 2013 in [[Memphis, Tennessee]], by a score of 44-7. It was MSU's third bowl win in the last four years.<ref name="hailstate.com"/> ==Memorable games== 1980 [[Alabama Crimson Tide]] On Nov. 1, 1980. Emory Bellard's Bulldog squad downed Bear Bryant's No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide team 6-3. Alabama QB Don Jacobs led the Tide on a furious 44-yard drive in the game's closing minutes. With the ball on the Mississippi State four-yard line and just 25 seconds left in the game, Jacobs was nailed in the backfield by Bulldog defender Tyrone Keys and fumbled. Billy Jackson recovered to seal the deal. 1998 [[Arkansas Razorbacks]] On November 21, 1998, Mississippi State and Arkansas fought to see who would make it to the SEC Championship Game against Tennessee. Mississippi State had an early lead in the game, but Arkansas rallied back to make it 21-19 late in the 4th quarter. Mississippi State got the ball back, and had a long drive going for the last two minutes of the game. With ten seconds left, Mississippi State kicker, Brian Hazelwood, came in to kick a field goal. He drilled the kick right down the middle, giving Mississippi State an SEC West win, and a berth into the SEC Championship Game. 2000 [[Florida Gators]] On Sept. 30, 2000. The Florida Gators came into Davis Wade Stadium ranked third in the nation. The unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran for 351 yards, 172 yards and a touchdown for Dicenzo Miller, and 156 yards and a touchdown for Dontae Walker. Bulldogs quarterback Wayne Madkin also ran for two touchdowns. The Bulldogs compiled 517 total yards of offense. A frustrated Steve Spurrier rotated three quarterbacks including Rex Grossman. Grossman went 13 for 16 with 231 yards and two touchdowns. All together, the Gators had 494 yards and four touchdowns through the air. Mississippi State won the game 47–35, breaking Florida's 72-game winning streak against unranked teams. 2000 [[Texas A&M Aggies]] On New Year's Eve 2000, Mississippi State battled against Texas A&M in the [[2000 Independence Bowl]]. An unexpected snow came through [[Shreveport, Louisiana]] and northwest [[Louisiana]], thus resulting in the nickname "The Snow Bowl". Mississippi State's head coach, Jackie Sherrill, had been previously the Texas A&M head coach, making them a powerhouse program, and this was the first time he had played his old team. With about nine minutes left in the 4th quarter, Mississippi State was down 35-21, but scored a touchdown and got the ball back with five minutes to go. Once again, the Bulldogs scored a touchdown, and sent the game into overtime. Texas A&M got the ball first, and scored a touchdown, but on the extra point, it was blocked by Willie Blade, and it was run back into the end zone by Julius Griffith for two points, making the score 41-37. The Bulldogs got the ball back, and quarterback Wayne Madkin ran it up the middle for a 7-yard touchdown and win. ==Rivalries== ===Ole Miss=== {{main|Egg Bowl}} The Battle of the Golden Egg (nicknamed the Egg Bowl) is an annual college football game between in-state rivals [[Ole Miss Rebels football|Ole Miss]] and the Mississippi State. While the 2 teams have played each other since 1901, with 2003 being the year in which the 2 teams had played each other 100 times and now having played each other a total of 108 times, the first game officially known as "The Battle of the Golden Egg" was in 1927. Ole Miss leads the series with a 61&ndash;43&ndash;6* record. The games prior to 1991 had been played at Veterans Stadium in Jackson, MS where each team would alternate annually as the home team. Since the Egg Bowl was moved back to the respective campuses in 1991, Mississippi State has won 12 games to Ole Miss' 10. <center> {| class="wikitable" |- |+ '''Mississippi State-Ole Miss: All-Time Record''' !Games played !First meeting !Last meeting !MSU wins !MSU losses !Ties |- align="center" |110 |1901 (Won 17–0) |November 28, 2013 (Won 17-10 OT) |43 |61 |6 |} </center> *includes the 1976 and 1977 games which were won by Mississippi State but later forfeited by the NCAA. ===Alabama=== {{main|Alabama–Mississippi State football rivalry}} The Alabama–Mississippi State rivalry, sometimes referred to as the 90 Mile Drive or the Battle for Highway 82, is an annual football game between the [[Alabama Crimson Tide Football|University of Alabama Crimson Tide]] and Mississippi State University Bulldogs. Both universities are founding members of the Southeastern Conference, as well as the Western Division. The two campuses are located approximately 90 miles apart, and are the closest SEC schools in terms of distance. Entering its 97th meeting as of the 2012 football season, Alabama-Mississippi State is one of the SEC's longest-running series, dating back to 1896. <center> {| class="wikitable" |- |+ '''Mississippi State-Alabama: All-Time Record''' !Games played !First meeting !Last meeting !MSU wins !MSU losses !Ties |- align="center" |98 |1896 (Lost 0-20) |November 16, 2013 (Lost 7-20) |18 |76 |3 |} </center> ===Kentucky=== {{main|Kentucky–Mississippi State football rivalry}} The annual rivalry game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and [[Kentucky Wildcats|University of Kentucky Wildcats]] rotates between Lexington, Kentucky and Starkville, Mississippi. The game became a permanent rivalry when the Southeastern Conference assigned permanent interdivisional rivals. Mississippi State has won 6 of their last 7 vs. Kentucky. <center> {| class="wikitable" |- |+ '''Mississippi State-Kentucky: All-Time Record''' !Games played !First meeting !Last meeting !MSU wins !MSU losses |- align="center" |41 |1914 (Lost 13–19) |October 24, 2013 (Won 28–22) |21 |20 |} </center> ==Bowl history== Mississippi State has an all-time bowl record of 11-7, highlighted by wins in the 1941 Orange Bowl, the [[1963 Liberty Bowl]], the [[1999 Peach Bowl]], and the [[2011 Gator Bowl]]. Most recently, the Bulldogs defeated the [[Conference USA]] champion [[2007 UCF Knights football team|UCF Kinghts]] 10-3 in the [[2007 Liberty Bowl]], the [[2010 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan Wolverines]] 52-14 in the [[2011 Gator Bowl]], and the [[2011 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team|Wake Forest]] 23-17 in the [[2011 Music City Bowl|Music City]]. The Bulldogs had won their last 5 bowls, until losing 34 to 20 against Northwestern University in the 2013 edition of the Gator Bowl. {| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" style="width:50em; text-align:center;" |- !W/L || Date || PF || Opponent || PA || Bowl |- style="background:#dfd;" | W || 01-01-[[1911 college football season|1912]] || 12 || Havana Athletic Club || 0 || [[Bacardi Bowl]] |- style="background:#fdd;" | L || 01-01-[[1936 college football season|1937]] || 12 || [[Duquesne Dukes#Football|Duquesne]] || 13 || [[Orange Bowl (game)|Orange Bowl]] |- style="background:#dfd;" | W || 01-01-[[1940 college football season|1941]] || 14 || [[Georgetown Hoyas#Football|Georgetown]] || 7 || [[Orange Bowl (game)|Orange Bowl]] |- style="background:#dfd;" | W || 12-21-[[1963 college football season|1963]] || 16 || [[NC State Wolfpack football|N.C. State]] || 12 || [[Liberty Bowl]] |- style="background:#dfd;" | W || 12-28-[[1974 college football season|1974]] || 26 || [[North Carolina Tar Heels football|North Carolina]] || 24 || [[Sun Bowl]] |- style="background:#fdd;" | L || 12-27-[[1980 NCAA Division I-A football season|1980]] || 17 || [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]] || 31 || [[Sun Bowl]] |- style="background:#dfd;" | W || 12-31-[[1981 NCAA Division I-A football season|1981]] || 10 || [[Kansas Jayhawks football|Kansas]] || 0 || [[All-American Bowl|Hall of Fame Bowl]] |- style="background:#fdd;" | L || 12-29-[[1991 NCAA Division I-A football season|1991]] || 15 || [[Air Force Falcons football|Air Force]] || 38 || [[Liberty Bowl]] |- style="background:#fdd;" | L || 01-02-[[1992 NCAA Division I-A football season|1993]] || 17 || [[North Carolina Tar Heels football|North Carolina]] || 21 || [[Chick-fil-A Bowl|Peach Bowl]] |- style="background:#fdd;" | L || 01-01-[[1994 NCAA Division I-A football season|1995]] || 24 || [[NC State Wolfpack football|N.C. State]] || 28 || [[Chick-fil-A Bowl|Peach Bowl]] |- style="background:#fdd;" | L || 01-01-[[1998 NCAA Division I-A football season|1999]] || 11 || [[Texas Longhorns football|Texas]] || 38 || [[Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton Bowl]] |- style="background:#dfd;" | W || 12-30-[[1999 NCAA Division I-A football season|1999]] || 17 || [[Clemson Tigers football|Clemson]] || 7 || [[Chick-fil-A Bowl|Peach Bowl]] |- style="background:#dfd;" | W || 12-31-[[2000 NCAA Division I-A football season|2000]] || 43 || [[Texas A&M Aggies football|Texas A&M]] || 41 || [[Independence Bowl]] |- style="background:#dfd;" | W || 12-29-[[2007 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|2007]] || 10 || [[2007 UCF Knights football team|UCF]] || 3 || [[2007 Liberty Bowl|Liberty Bowl]] |- style="background:#dfd;" | W || 01-01-[[2010 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|2011]] || 52 || [[Michigan Wolverines|Michigan]] || 14 || [[2011 Gator Bowl|Gator Bowl]] |- style="background:#dfd;" | W || 12-30-[[2011 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|2011]] || 23 || [[2011 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team|Wake Forest]] || 17 || [[2011 Music City Bowl|Music City Bowl]] |- style="background:#fdd;" | L || 01-01-[[2012 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|2013]] || 20 || [[Northwestern Wildcats football|Northwestern]] || 34 || [[2013 Gator Bowl|Gator Bowl]] |- style="background:#dfd;" | W || 12-31-[[2013 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|2013]] || 44 || [[Rice Owls football|Rice]] || 7 || [[2013 Liberty Bowl|Liberty Bowl]] |} ==Traditions== ===The cowbell=== The most unique and certainly the most resounding symbol of Mississippi State University tradition is the cowbell. Despite decades of attempts by opponents and authorities to banish it from scenes of competition, diehard State fans still celebrate Bulldog victories loudly and proudly with the distinctive sound of ringing cowbells. The precise origin of the cowbell as a fixture of Mississippi State sports tradition remains unclear to this day. The best records have cowbells gradually introduced to the MSU sports scene in the late 1930s and early 1940s, coinciding with the 'golden age' of Mississippi State football success prior to World War II. The most popular legend is that during a home football game between State and arch-rival Mississippi, a jersey cow wandered onto the playing field. Mississippi State soundly whipped the Rebels that Saturday, and State College students immediately adopted the cow as a good luck charm. Students are said to have continued bringing a cow to football games for a while, until the practice was eventually discontinued in favor of bringing just the cow's bell. Whatever the origin, it is certain that by the 1950s cowbells were common at Mississippi State games, and by the 1960s were established as the special symbol of Mississippi State. Ironically, the cowbell's popularity grew most rapidly during the long years when State football teams were rarely successful. Flaunting this anachronism from the 'aggie' days was a proud response by students and alumni to outsider scorn of the university's 'cow college' history. In the 1960s two MSU professors, Earl W. Terrell and Ralph L. Reeves obliged some students by welding handles on the bells to they could be rung with much more convenience and authority. By 1963 the demand for these long-handled cowbells could not be filled by home workshops alone, so at the suggestion of Reeves the Student Association bought bells in bulk and the Industrial Education Club agreed to weld on handles. In 1964 the MSU Bookstore began marketing these cowbells with a portion of the profits returning to these student organizations. Today many styles of cowbells are available on campus and around Starkville, with the top-of-the-line a heavy chrome-plated model with a full Bulldog figurine handle. But experts insist the best and loudest results are produced by a classic long-handled, bicycle-grip bell made of thinner and tightly-welded shells. Cowbells decorate offices and homes of Mississippi State alumni, and are passed down through generations of Bulldog fans. In 1974, the SEC adopted a rule against artificial noisemakers that made it illegal to ring a cowbell during games. Despite creative efforts by MSU fans to circumvent the ruling and continue the tradition, the ban was in effect until 2010. That spring, the 12 schools of the SEC agreed to a compromise on artificial noisemakers, acknowledging the role cowbells play in the history of Mississippi State University by amending the conference by-law. In the fall of 2010, on a one-year trial with specified restrictions, cowbells were permitted in Davis Wade Stadium for the first time in 36 years. And due to MSU fans' notable adherence to the rules outlined by the league, cowbells will continue to be allowed with similar restrictions in place. In 2012, the rule was made permanent by the SEC. ===Maroon and white=== Maroon and White are the distinctive colors of Mississippi State University athletic teams, dating back over a century to the very first football game ever played by the school's student-athletes. On November 15, 1895, the first Mississippi A&M football team was preparing for a road trip to [[Jackson, Tennessee]]., to play Southern Baptist University (now called [[Union University]]) the following day. Since every college was supposed to have its own uniform colors, the A&M student body requested that the school's team select a suitable combination. Considering making this choice an honor, the inaugural State team gave the privilege to team captain W.M. Matthews. Accounts report that without hesitation Matthews chose Maroon and White. == Recruiting == Mississippi State Bulldogs Football Scout.com team recruiting rankings: {| ! Class ! Scout.com Rank ! Commits ! Top Commit | |- ! 2013 |22 |21 |Chris Jones | |- ! 2012 |18 |28 |Quay Evans | |- ! 2011 |45 |22 |Dee Arrington | |- ! 2010 |38 |26 |Damien Robinson | |- ! 2009 |19 |27 |Josh Boyd | |- ! 2008 |33 |25 |Templeton Hardy | |- ! 2007 |27 |34 |Robert Elliott | |- ! 2006 |39 |24 |Anthony Dixon | |- ! 2005 |39 |28 |Derek Pegues | |- ! 2004 |60 |23 |Rory Johnson | |- ! 2003 |20 |32 |Quinton Culberson | |- ! 2002 |17 |23 |Darren Williams | |- ! |} ==First round draft picks== Mississippi State has had 11 players selected in the first round of professional football drafts. ===National Football League=== {{Div col|4}} *1949 [[Harper Davis]] *1956 [[Art Davis (American football)|Art Davis]] *1959 [[Bill Stacey]] *1975 [[Jimmy Webb]] *1982 [[Glen Collins (American football)|Glen Collins]] *1982 [[Johnie Cooks]] *1983 [[Michael Haddix]] *1996 [[Eric Moulds]] *1996 [[Walt Harris (American football player)|Walt Harris]] *2011 [[Derek Sherrod]] *2012 [[Fletcher Cox]] {{Div col end}} ==Coaching staff== ===Head coaches=== {{Main|List of Mississippi State Bulldogs head football coaches}} The program has had 32&nbsp;head coaches since it began play during the [[1895 college football season|1895 season]], and has played more than 1,050 games over 111 seasons.<ref name=m86>''2011 Mississippi State Football Media Guide'', pp. 86–92</ref> Since December 2008, [[Dan Mullen]] has served as Mississippi States' head coach.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3760099 |first=Pat |last=Forde |title=Mississippi State hires Florida coordinator as coach |publisher=ESPN.com |date=2008-12-11 |accessdate=2011-07-31}}</ref> ===Historic coaching hire=== Mississippi State made history on December 1, 2003, when it hired [[Sylvester Croom]] as its head football coach. Croom was the first African-American named to such a position in the history of the [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC). ===Current coaching staff=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Name !! Position |- | [[Dan Mullen]] || Head Coach |- | Geoff Collins || Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers |- | Billy Gonzales || Co-Offensive Coordinator/Passing Game/Wide Receivers |- | John Hevesy || Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Game/Offensive Line |- | Tony Hughes || Recruiting Coordinator/Safeties Coach |- | Brian Johnson || Quarterbacks Coach |- | Greg Knox || Running Backs/Special Teams Coordinator |- | Scott Sallach || Tight Ends Coach |- | [[Deshea Townsend]] || Cornerbacks Coach |- | David Turner || Defensive Line Coach |}<ref>http://www.hailstate.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=16800&SPID=10997&SPSID=90894 Football - 2014 Coaching Staff</ref> == Future non-conference opponents == {| class="wikitable" |-style="background: #660000" align=center | <span style="color:white;">'''2014''' || <span style="color:white;">'''2015''' || <span style="color:white;">'''2016''' || <span style="color:white;">'''2017''' |-align=center | vs [[Southern Miss Golden Eagles football|Southern Miss]] || at [[Southern Miss Golden Eagles football|Southern Miss]] || vs [[South Alabama Jaguars football|South Alabama]] || vs [[Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football|Louisiana Tech]] |-align=center | vs [[UAB Blazers football|UAB]] || vs [[Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football|Louisiana Tech]] || at [[Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football|Louisiana Tech]] || |-align=center | at [[South Alabama Jaguars football|South Alabama]] || vs [[Troy Trojans football|Troy]] || vs [[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]] || |-align=center | vs [[UT Martin Skyhawks football|UT Martin]] || || || |} <ref name="nonconfopp">{{cite web| title=Mississippi State Bulldogs Football Schedules and Future Schedules|publisher=fbschedules.com| url=http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/sec/mississippi-state-bulldogs.php|accessdate=2012-02-26}}</ref> ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{Official website|1=http://www.mstateathletics.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=16800&SPID=10997&SPSID=90889}} {{Mississippi State Bulldogs football navbox}} {{Southeastern Conference football navbox}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Mississippi State Bulldogs Football}} [[Category:Mississippi State Bulldogs football|*]] [[Category:Sports clubs established in 1895]]'