On October 28, 2014, Mississippi State University fans found out Mississippi State football was ranked No. 1 in the nation. It was a historic moment, marking the release of the first-ever College Football Playoff rankings, and the Bulldogs, under head coach Dan Mullen, had reached the pinnacle of college football.
The 2014 season was one for the ages, led by dynamic quarterback Dak Prescott, who became the face of Mississippi State’s rise to national prominence. Prescott was the heart of a team that started 9-0, with notable victories over No. 8 LSU in Baton Rouge, No. 6 Texas A&M at home and No. 2 Auburn in Starkville, solidifying their place among the nation’s elite.
Prescott was not alone in propelling the Bulldogs to the top. Running back Josh Robinson rushed for over 1,200 yards that season, including a 197-yard performance in the Bulldogs’ 34-29 win over LSU. Defensive lineman Preston Smith also made his presence felt, terrorizing opposing quarterbacks and earning first-team All-SEC honors.
Mississippi State’s dominance kept them ranked No. 1 for three consecutive weeks, and fans dreamed of a spot in the College Football Playoffs. But on November 15, 2014, they fell against No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. Both teams entered the game undefeated, and the stakes could not have been higher.
Alabama’s defense stifled Mississippi State’s high-powered offense early, as the Bulldogs found themselves in a 19-6 hole at halftime. Despite a late surge led by Prescott, the Bulldogs came up short, 25-20, after failing to recover an onside kick in the game’s final minute.
The loss to Alabama was the beginning of a tough stretch for Mississippi State, which went on to lose two more games that season. The Bulldogs, coming off a shutout win against Vanderbilt, faced in-state rival Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. The No. 17-ranked Rebels, playing at home, upset Mississippi State, 31-17, in a game that saw the Bulldogs offense struggle against a good Ole Miss defense.
After the loss, Mississippi State’s playoff berth was over.
Mississippi State earned a bid to the Capital One Orange Bowl, but the season ended with another loss. They were outgunned by No. 12 Georgia Tech’s high-powered offense in a 49-34 loss.
Despite the disappointing finish, Mississippi State’s 2014 campaign, highlighted by the first-ever College Football Playoff No. 1 ranking and a roster full of NFL talent, remains among the most memorable in school history.
After the 2014 season, Dan Mullen’s success in Starkville caught the attention of other programs, and he eventually left to take the head coaching job at the University of Florida in 2017, where he was later dismissed. Αfter the Mullen era, Mississippi State has endured a period of instability, going through five head coaches in the past seven years since Mullen’s departure: Joe Moorhead, Mike Leach, Zach Arnett, Greg Knox (interim) and most recently, Jeff Lebby.
After two lackluster seasons by Joe Moorhead, he was fired and renowned coach Mike Leach was brought in. Leach’s tenure brought hope for a return to prominence. Known for pioneering the “Air Raid” offense, Leach, after two average seasons, led the Bulldogs to an eight-win season and a spot in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
However, Leach’s sudden and tragic passing in December 2022 left a void in the program. Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett was promoted to head coach shortly after, but with his inexperience and inexistent recruiting efforts, it was clear that Arnett had to go.
Arnett was fired midseason, prompting first-year Athletic Director Zac Selmon to search nationwide for a new head coach. Ultimately, Selmon chose Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, a hire that sparked mixed reactions among the fanbase, due to Lebby’s lack of head coaching experience.
Despite the initial skepticism, Lebby quickly impacted the recruiting trail, moving Mississippi State up 24 spots in the On3 National Recruiting Index within three weeks. He secured key commitments from four-star wide receivers Braylon “Stonka” Burnside and JJ Harrell, giving fans hope for the future. However, the 2024 season has been a struggle so far.
The Bulldogs have gone 1-4, with their lone win coming against FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky. A blowout loss at home to Toledo from the Mid-American Conference and an injury to quarterback Blake Shapen in the SEC opener against Florida added to the team’s woes. True freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren was forced into action against No. 1 Texas, where Mississippi State fought hard but still left Austin with a loss.
The rapid fall from grace starkly contrasts the glory days of 2014. Today, Mississippi State’s leading tackler is a sophomore safety, underscoring the program’s decline. While the current outlook may seem bleak, the 2014 season proved that the Bulldogs have the potential to compete at the highest level. Only time will tell if they can rise again.
Jack H • Oct 2, 2024 at 8:56 am
We still feel the success through the investments and attention that 2014 brought to Starkville, but it did not (IMO) prove that we have the potential to compete at the highest level.
To me, it proved that we have the potential to poke holes in hype balloons and drive sports media narratives, but it also proved that even in our best seasons, we simply cannot compete with the best talent on our schedule.
2014 Oregon, FSU, Ohio State would’ve all exposed us in similar ways to Alabama and Ole Miss. We didn’t lose those games because of anything complicated, it was because late in the season, teams are getting worn down, yet those teams were stocked with top-shelf recruits ready to come off the bench, and we usually have 1 or 2 five-star recruits on our entire roster.
Onlygood Lefttackle went down? Tough, the backup has to defend 5* Hugeman Sprintingfridge.
I don’t see this getting better as we tie athletic success more and more closely to financial support.