Since the passing of Mike Leach in December 2022, Mississippi State football had experienced a steady decline, culminating in bottoming-out in 2024. A 2-10 season with no SEC wins an a blowout, home loss to a MAC school was rock bottom, and ultimately, it's been up to Jeff Lebby to bring the Bulldogs up from the abyss.
Coming off their thrilling win over a ranked Arizona State squad in front of a home crowd that was thoroughly berserk, it looks like Lebby finally has his program ascending.
Lebby has stayed firm in his messaging that the right people have been inside the building, himself included, to turn the program around. But in a results-driven business, the results hadn't been there to know if that was truly the case.
Well now, Lebby has proof of concept, and for everyone associated with Mississippi State football, there's clear reason to buy-in.
If you're a player in the locker room, you don't just have belief that you and your teammates are capable of winning meaningful games. You know for certain you can, and you also know that even when the in-game situation seems dire, you can still find a way to get the job done. That confidence can go a long way.
If you're a recruit, you now have tangible evidence of the vision Jeff Lebby and his staff are selling you on Starkville. You see a program that is trending in the right direction. You see an incredible home field atmosphere that anyone would love to play in front of. Mississippi State is suddenly an option worth seriously considering.
And if you're a fan, you're finally eager to get behind the program. You're excited to watch this team on Saturdays. You want to be in attendance at Davis Wade Stadium. And, for those that are able, you're more likely to financially contribute to the program to help it continue to grow, trusting that the investment will pay off.
This is a massive win for the program, and as Jeff Lebby said in his postgame press conference, it sends a clear message about the direction of Bulldog football.
"The message it sends is we're trending the right way."Jeff Lebby
The situation around Starkville had gotten bleak, but at long last, Mississippi State has some desperately-needed momentum.
Mississippi State has to capitalize on this moment
Here's the key to all this positivity: Mississippi State has to continue building off of it.
For as much fun as that win was, it will ultimately be in vain if it proves to be the last positive moment of the season. All that buy-in will quickly fade away if State immediately returns to looking hapless against good teams.
Beating Arizona State gave the Bulldogs a realistic path to bowl-eligibility, something that seemed pretty unlikely before the season given the difficulty of the schedule. The schedule isn't any less difficult, but beating the Sun Devils proved State is capable of beating good teams, especially considering the Bulldogs played anything but a complete game last Saturday.
MSU's next two games, home tilts with FCS Alcorn State and Northern Illinois, should be comfortable wins. Yes, NIU defeated Notre Dame last season, but the Huskies have taken a significant step back in 2025. If the Bulldogs take these next two weeks seriously, they will win both games easily and move to 4-0.
At that point, there is no reason why finding two SEC wins to become bowl-eligible should be unreasonable. State at its best can compete against most every team they'll see in conference play. Coming out on top against two of them is a fair goal, and if you can do that and make a bowl in year two under Jeff Lebby, suddenly the future trajectory of the program looks much more positive. You've got to make that happen.
Last Saturday's victory can be a launching pad for the Bulldogs, both for this season and potentially for the program's future. It can lead to more success, and it is absolutely critical that it does.