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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 /
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Sep 12, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; A general view of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium where the Florida Gators play against the East Carolina Pirates . Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; A general view of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium where the Florida Gators play against the East Carolina Pirates . Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Number 8: 2010 at Florida

2010 was an amazing season for Dan Mullen and Mississippi State. The Bulldogs not only reached a bowl this season, but showed they could be a relevant team in the SEC and the country. The game against the Florida Gators in The Swamp was a big reason for it.

The setup
Mississippi State entered the game against the Florida Gators and the Florida Gators Head Coach Urban Meyer needing to prove they weren’t a fluke. The Bulldogs had compiled a record of 4-2 coming into the game, but many people weren’t quite sure what to make of the Bulldogs up until this point.

Florida was also in desperate need of proving they were not fading away. The Gators were also 4-2 and ranked 22nd in the country by the AP Poll, but had lost two consecutive games to the LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide. A win over the Bulldogs would keep the Gators hopes of a division title alive, while a loss would virtually end any hopes Florida had of reaching the SEC Championship Game.

The result
The game was not pretty by anyone’s definition of the word. Both defenses were playing at a high level, and neither coach wanted to make a mistake that could potentially cost their team a victory. Mississippi State would go up 10-0 before halftime, and Dan Mullen adopted gameplan he believed would do everything possible to seal the game.

Chris Relf only threw the ball 9 times during the game. Mississippi State ran the ball 49 times, and went 24 straight plays at one point where they did not attempt a single pass. Florida would eventually score to make the game 10-7 heading into the 4th quarter.

The score would stay that way, and Florida would have one last drive to try to tie or take the lead. Brantley would move the ball to the Bulldogs 25 yard line before the drive would stall out. The Gators would send out their punter to attempt the 42 yard field goal to tie the game because their starting kicked was out with an injury. The kick would sail wide right and Mississippi State would have their first win in Gainesville since 1965.

Next: 2013 Egg Bowl

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