Maroon and White Nation
Fansided

Dan Mullen’s top 10 wins at Mississippi State

By Josh Barnhill

Nov 29, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen stands on the sidelines against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen stands on the sidelines against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
11 of 11
Next
Oct 11, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver De
Oct 11, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver De /

Number 1: 2014 Auburn

It was a scene like no other for Mississippi State and the city of Starkville. Mississippi State was ranked third in the country and had the second ranked team in the nation coming to their stadium. College Gameday was on campus. It would end up being one of the highest rated games in the country during the 2014 season. This is easily the number 1 win in the Dan Mullen era.

The setup
The setup is the same for both teams in this game. The winner would walk away ranked as the number one team in the country, and in the driver’s seat for the SEC West. Florida State had been losing its grip on the ranking, so the winner of this game was going to be the team to jump over the Seminoles and take the reigns of all the polls.

The result
Mississippi State jumped out to a 21-0 lead before you could blink. Thanks to some early turnovers by the Tigers, Mississippi State had complete control of the game early on.

But the game was far from over. Auburn slowly began to chip away at the lead. A few back and forth possessions, and the Bulldogs would take a 28-13 lead into the locker room at half time.

More from Mississippi State Football

When play resumed in the second half, neither team could establish control. After an Evan Sobiesk field goal pushed the Mississippi State lead back out to 11 points at 31-20, the Tigers would make a critical mistake which virtually sealed the game for Mississippi State.

The kickoff by Devon Bell that followed the field goal was high up in the air, and the Auburn kick returner fumbled the ball. It was recovered by the Bulldogs and a few plays later, Josh Robinson would punch the ball in for a touchdown that all but sealed the win. Auburn would later tack on a field goal to make the final score 38-23 in favor of Mississippi State.

The win pushed the Bulldogs to number 1 in the polls for the first time in school history. It also put Dak Prescott as the front runner for the Heisman Trophy until the loss at Alabama. And Mississippi State was the first ever team to be ranked number 1 by the brand new College Football Playoff Committee.

Next: SEC Power Rankings Week 12

The 2014 season might not have ended the way Mississippi State fans wanted, but it was one of the most fun seasons many of our fans have ever experienced.

Home/Mississippi State Football