As expectations continue to rise for the Mississippi State Univeristy football team, eight-win seasons that were once celebrated are now disappointments.
After starting the season 7-0, the Bulldogs finished the year 8-5, beating only Arkansas in the final six-game stretch.
The 23 consecutive sellouts at Davis Wade Stadium testifies to the success head coach Dan Mullen has had since his arrival, and for Mullen, who just finished his fourth season at the helm for the Dogs, the program is in a good position but must continue to move forward.
“It was great to win a lot early, but it sucks to lose late,” Mullen said after the Dogs lost to Northwestern in the Gator Bowl. “The great thing is eight-win seasons now are starting to become disappointing at Mississippi State. That’s the direction you want the program headed.”
With the loss of Johnthan Banks, Cameron Lawrence and Chad Bumphis among numerous other seniors as well as defensive coordinator Chris Wilson and cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith, next  year’s team will have some new faces amidst the returning players.
The offense lost the majority of its receiving core and will be looking to players such as Robert Johnson and Joe Morrow to pick up the slack at wide out. But for the most part, the rest of the offense will remain intact for State next season led by Tyler Russell and LaDarius Perkins.
Although Russell ended on a bad note, throwing four interceptions in the Gator Bowl, the junior quarterback threw just six during the  regular season and now has a year as a starter under his belt.
Perkins will be returning alongside Russell in the backfield. After taking over for Vick Ballard, Perkins posted 1,061 yards rushing and added eight touchdowns this year. Ballard rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2011, and Perkins said back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons is something to build on for next year.
“I just tried to keep it going this year and make sure I keep it going next year, too,” Perkins said. “Going into next year, it’s a positive upside getting 1,000 yards.”
Russell and Perkins will retain the majority of their offensive line next season, as well. Senior captain Tobias Smith is the lone departing player from the O-Line.
Smith said both Russell and Perkins have developed into the leaders of the offense.
“Since he (Russell) has been here, he’s been getting groomed. He came into the zone at the right time in his junior year. He’s become a leader within the offense,” Smith said. “With him (Perkins), he’s been a player since he got here. He was well developed in high school. He’s leading a young backfield and doing a good job with them, also.”
On the defensive side of the ball, former linebackers coach Geoff Collins took the job as State’s defensive coordinator. The departures of  Smith to Auburn and Wilson to Georgia left State with multiple coaching positions to fill.
MSU announced the hire of David Turner as the D-Line coach Wednesday. Turner was State’s D-Line coach from 2007-09 before he left for Kentucky.
When Mullen arrived in Starkville in 2008, Turner was one of the few coaches Mullen kept on staff. Turner takes over for his replacement, as Wilson was hired when Turner left for Kentucky.
Only one coaching vacancy, the secondary, remains for State, one which after the Gator Bowl Mullen said could possibly be filled by current safeties coach Tony Hughes.
The Bulldog defense struggled with tempo issues throughout the season, an issue Collins said was better in the Gator Bowl.
“That’s the key to stopping tempo is you don’t let it get started,” Collins said. “Teams in this league, even Kentucky now, are going to this spread no-huddle. I think our guys after three weeks of solely focusing on it felt comfortable, and they didn’t look like a deer in the headlights like they might have at times this season.”
Benardrick McKinney, Denico Autry and Nickoe Whitley will lead the defense next season. McKinney finished second on the team with 102 tackles this season, and Whitley was close behind with 88. Autry found his way into the backfield numerous times, recording four sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss.
Autry said he and the rest of the team have a lot of work to do to prepare for next season.
“It’s going to be a new team, a new season, just getting ready to be better in the regular season,” Autry said.