Mississippi State Bulldogs football
| Mississippi State Bulldogs football | |||
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 2011 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team |
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| First season | 1895 | ||
| Head coach | Dan Mullen | ||
| 3rd year, 21–17 (.553) | |||
| Home stadium | Davis Wade Stadium | ||
| Year built | 1914 | ||
| Stadium capacity | 55,082 | ||
| Stadium surface | Prescription Athletic Turf | ||
| Location | Starkville, Mississippi | ||
| Conference | SEC | ||
| Division | Western | ||
| All-time record | 507–544–39 (.483) | ||
| Postseason bowl record | 10–6 | ||
| Conference titles | 1 (SEC 1941) | ||
| Division titles | 1 (SEC West 1998) | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 2[1] | ||
| Current uniform | |||
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| Colors | Maroon and White | ||
| Fight song | Hail State | ||
| Mascot | Bully | ||
| Marching band | Famous Maroon Band | ||
| Rivals | Ole Miss Rebels Alabama Crimson Tide Kentucky Wildcats |
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| Website | HailState.com | ||
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represents Mississippi State University in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. 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. The Bulldogs represented the SEC Western Division in the 1998 SEC Championship Game, falling to #1 Tennessee 14-24. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124 NFL players, including 11 first round draft picks1[2]. The Bulldogs play their home games at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field, the second oldest football stadium in NCAA Division I-FBS, which has a seating capacity of 55,082. The largest crowd was recorded on November 12, 2009, as the Bulldogs hosted #3 Alabama, at 58,103. Mississippi State competes in the annual Battle for the Golden Egg against in-state archrival Ole Miss, while also maintaining rivalries with Alabama and Kentucky. Jackie Sherrill, who was the head coach of the Bulldogs from 1991 to 2003, is MSU's all-time winningest coach. Sherrill led MSU to 6 postseason bowl games and an appearance in the SEC Championship Game in 1998. Allyn McKeen, who led the Bulldogs to its first and only SEC championship in 1941, has the highest winning percentage (.764). Some also credit McKeen with a national championship in 1940. The team is currently coached by Dan Mullen, former Florida offensive coordinator, who led the 2006 and 2008 Gators to national championships. During his time at MSU, Mullen has led the Bulldogs to two consecutive bowl victories in 2010 and 2011, and an undefeated record over in-state rival Ole Miss since his hiring.
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[edit] Notable seasons
[edit] 1941 SEC champions
The 1941 Mississippi State Bulldogs finished the year with a 7-1-1 record, and claimed the Southeastern Conference championship. The season included wins over Florida, Alabama, Auburn, and Mississippi. The Bulldogs tied with LSU, and were defeated by Duquesne. While Mississippi State won the conference championship in 1941, they did not win the national championship. Alabama claims the 1941 season as a national championship, even though they finished the season with a 9-2 record, including losses to Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, and were ranked #20 in the final AP poll.
[edit] 1998 SEC Western Division champions
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 as SEC Western Division Champions. MSU . In that game, MSU was leading Tennessee in the fourth quarter before falling 24-14 before 74,000 fans in the Georgia Dome. They continued on to play in the Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, Texas, against a heavily favored Texas Longhorns team. The Bulldogs lost the game 38-11.
[edit] 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 and 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 the feat.
[edit] Recent history
[edit] 1999 season
The 1999 Bulldog team finished their season with a 10–2 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 in the Peach Bowl, 17–7 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.
[edit] 2000 season
The 2000 Bulldogs finished 8–4 (4–4) 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 Dante Walker, under snowy conditions, they pulled out an exciting 43–41 overtime victory over Texas A&M.
[edit] 2007 season
The Bulldogs finished 8–5 and won the Liberty Bowl over the Conference USA Champion the University of Central Florida. Other notable wins include away victories at Auburn University and the University of Kentucky and home wins versus the University of Alabama and Ole Miss. With the win over Ole Miss, Mississippi State claimed the Egg Bowl trophy.
[edit] 2010 season
Mississippi State defeated the Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida Gators in the same season for the first time in team history. The Bulldogs also defeated the 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.
[edit] 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[3]; 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 went instead.
[edit] 2011 season
MSU won 7 games, including beating the Ole Miss Rebels for the 3rd straight time (a feat not accomplished in 70 years). 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 is currently tied for the longest bowl win streak in the NCAA.
[edit] Memorable Games
1980 Alabama Crimson Tide On Nov. 3, 1980. Emory Bellard's Bulldog squad downed the Paul W. Bryant's No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide team 6-3 and brought to an end one of the most dominating runs in the history of the Alabama program. Alabama Quarterback 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 the ball. State's Billy Jackson recovered and one of the greatest eras of Alabama football came to an ignominious end.
2000 Florida Gators On Sept. 30, 2000. The Florida Gators came into Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi 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.
[edit] Rivalries
[edit] Egg Bowl
The Battle of the Golden Egg (nicknamed the Egg Bowl) is an annual college football game between in-state rivals 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.[19] Record: 42–60–6. Since the Egg Bowl was moved back to the respective campuses in 1991, Mississippi State has won 12 games to Ole Miss' 9. The games prior to 1991 had been played at Veterans Stadium in Jackson, MS where each team would alternate annually as the home team. Currently, Mississippi State has a three game win streak in the series and has also won 4 of the last 5 vs Mississippi.
[edit] Alabama
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 University of Alabama Crimson Tide and the 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 94th meeting as of the 2009 football season, Alabama-Mississippi State is one of the Southeastern Conference's longest-running series, dating back to 1896. It also has been one of the league's most lopsided with Alabama winning 73 of 93 meetings. Record: 17-74-3
[edit] Kentucky
The annual rivalry game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the 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. Record: 19-20. Mississippi State has won 3 of their last 4 vs. Kentucky and 12 of the last 20.
The Kentucky rivalry is more pronounced as a basketball rivalry with Mississippi State, with MSU having won 3 straight, until the 2009-2010 basketball season when Kentucky won both matchups in overtime.
[edit] Bowl history
Mississippi State has an all-time bowl record of 10-6, 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 UCF Kinghts 10-3 in the 2007 Liberty Bowl, the Michigan Wolverines 52-14 in the 2011 Gator Bowl, and the Wake Forest 23-17 in the Music City. The Bulldogs have won their last 5 bowls, which is currently tied for the longest bowl winning streak in the NCAA.
| W/L | Date | PF | Opponent | PA | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | 01-01-1912 | 12 | Havana Athletic Club | 0 | Bacardi Bowl |
| L | 01-01-1937 | 12 | Duquesne | 13 | Orange Bowl |
| W | 01-01-1941 | 14 | Georgetown | 7 | Orange Bowl |
| W | 12-21-1963 | 16 | N.C. State | 12 | Liberty Bowl |
| W | 12-28-1974 | 26 | North Carolina | 24 | Sun Bowl |
| L | 12-27-1980 | 17 | Nebraska | 31 | Sun Bowl |
| W | 12-31-1981 | 10 | Kansas | 0 | Hall of Fame Bowl |
| L | 12-29-1991 | 15 | Air Force | 38 | Liberty Bowl |
| L | 01-02-1993 | 17 | North Carolina | 21 | Peach Bowl |
| L | 01-01-1995 | 24 | N.C. State | 28 | Peach Bowl |
| L | 01-01-1999 | 11 | Texas | 38 | Cotton Bowl |
| W | 12-30-1999 | 17 | Clemson | 7 | Peach Bowl |
| W | 12-31-2000 | 43 | Texas A&M | 41 | Independence Bowl |
| W | 12-29-2007 | 10 | UCF | 3 | Liberty Bowl |
| W | 01-01-2011 | 52 | Michigan | 14 | Gator Bowl |
| W | 12-30-2011 | 23 | Wake Forest | 17 | Music City Bowl |
[edit] First round draft picks
Mississippi State has had 11 players selected in the first round of professional football drafts.
[edit] National Football League
- 1949 Harper Davis
- 1956 Art Davis
- 1959 Bill Stacey
- 1963 Jim Dunaway
- 1975 Jimmy Webb
- 1982 Glen Collins
- 1982 Johnnie Cooks
- 1983 Michael Haddix
- 1996 Eric Moulds
- 1996 Walt Harris
- 2011 Derek Sherrod
[edit] Coaching Staff
[edit] Head coaches
The program has had 32 head coaches since it began play during the 1895 season, and has played more than 1,050 games over 111 seasons..[4] Since December 2008, Dan Mullen has served as Mississippi States' head coach.[5]
[edit] 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).
[edit] Current coaching staff
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Dan Mullen | Head Coach |
| Les Koenning | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach |
| Chris Wilson | Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach |
| Tony Hughes | Recruiting Coordinator/Safeties Coach |
| Geoff Collins | Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach |
| John Hevesy | Offensive Line Coach |
| Greg Knox | Running Backs Coach |
| Angelo Mirando | Wide Receivers Coach |
| Scott Sallach | Tight Ends Coach |
| Melvin Smith | Secondary Coach |
[edit] References
- ^ [1]
- ^ www.hailstate.com 2008 Mississippi State Football Media Guide: Media Information and Record Book
- ^ "Miss. State's Nick Bell dies of cancer". 2010-10-02. http://www.globe-democrat.com/news/2010/nov/02/miss-states-nick-bell-dies-of-cancer/. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
- ^ 2011 Mississippi State Football Media Guide, pp. 86–92
- ^ Forde, Pat (2008-12-11). "Mississippi State hires Florida coordinator as coach". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3760099. Retrieved 2011-07-31.
[edit] External links
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