2015 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
The 2015 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by seventh-year head coach Dan Mullen. The Bulldogs finished the season 9-4, having won the 2015 Belk Bowl.
2015 Mississippi State Bulldogs football | |
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Belk Bowl champion | |
Conference | Southeastern Conference |
Western Division | |
2015 record | 9–4 (4–4 SEC) |
Head coach | Dan Mullen (7th season) |
Co-offensive coordinator | Billy Gonzales (2nd as Co OC, 3rd overall season) |
Co-offensive coordinator | John Hevesy (2nd as Co OC, 7th overall season) |
Offensive scheme | Spread option |
Defensive coordinator | Manny Diaz (1st straight; 2nd overall season) |
Base defense | 4–3 |
Home stadium | Davis Wade Stadium (Capacity: 61,337) |
2015 Southeastern Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 25 Florida x | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 22 Tennessee | 5 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Georgia | 5 | – | 3 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vanderbilt | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kentucky | 2 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Missouri | 1 | – | 7 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Carolina | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 1 Alabama x$#^ | 7 | – | 1 | 14 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 10 Ole Miss | 6 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arkansas | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 16 LSU | 5 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Texas A&M | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mississippi State | 4 | – | 4 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Auburn | 2 | – | 6 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: Alabama 29, Florida 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Previous season
The 2014 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team finished the regular season 10-2, with their only two losses to Alabama and Ole Miss. Mississippi State knocked out three top 10 teams in a row during the season, #8 LSU, #6 Texas A&M, and #2 Auburn. The Bulldogs were ranked as high at #1 in all polls including the new College Football Playoff Rankings for the first time in school history until their first loss to #4 Alabama on November 15, 2014, of a deficit of 5 points. Mississippi State was in the mix to be a part of the all-new College Football Playoffs most of the regular season until their second loss to #18 Ole Miss two weeks after the loss at #4 Alabama. The team finished the regular season ranked seven in the College Football Playoff Rankings and was invited to play in the 2014 Orange Bowl against #12 Georgia Tech of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Mississippi State fell short to the Yellow Jackets in Miami Gardens, Florida with a loss of 34-49 and finished 10-3. It was the Bulldogs' third appearance in the Orange Bowl and first since 1941.
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 5 | 9:00 p.m. | at Southern Miss* | FS1 | W 34–16 | 36,641 | ||
September 12 | 8:15 p.m. | No. 14 LSU | No. 25 | ESPN | L 19–21 | 62,531 | |
September 19 | 3:00 p.m. | Northwestern State* |
| SECN | W 62–13 | 61,574 | |
September 26 | 6:30 p.m. | at Auburn | ESPN2 | W 17–9 | 87,451 | ||
October 3 | 6:30 p.m. | at No. 14 Texas A&M | No. 21 | SECN | L 17–30 | 104,455 | |
October 10 | 3:00 p.m. | Troy* |
| SECN | W 45–17 | 60,866 | |
October 17 | 11:00 a.m. | Louisiana Tech* |
| SECN | W 45–20 | 61,651 | |
October 24 | 6:30 p.m. | Kentucky |
| SECN | W 42–16 | 61,168 | |
November 5 | 8:00 p.m. | at Missouri | No. 24 | ESPN | W 31–13 | 58,878 | |
November 14 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 3 Alabama | No. 20 |
| CBS | L 6–31 | 62,435 |
November 21 | 6:00 p.m. | at Arkansas | No. 22 | ESPN | W 51–50 | 71,936 | |
November 28 | 6:15 p.m. | No. 19 Ole Miss | No. 23 |
| ESPN2 | L 27–38 | 62,265 |
December 30 | 2:30 p.m. | vs. NC State* | ESPN | W 51–28 | 45,423 | ||
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- Schedule Source:[1]
Rankings
Week | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
AP | RV | 25 | RV | RV | 21 | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 24 | 20 | RV | 23 | RV | RV | RV | ||||||||||||||||||||
Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | 22 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 20 | 25 | 22 | RV | RV | RV | ||||||||||||||||||||
CFP | Not released | 20 | 17 | NR | 21 | NR | NR | Not released |
Southern Miss
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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13–14–1 | 2014 | Mississippi State, 49–0 |
Louisiana State
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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34–71–3 | 2014 | Mississippi State, 34–29 |
Northwestern State
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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2–0 | 1946 | Mississippi State, 27–0 |
Auburn
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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25–61–2 | 2014 | Mississippi State, 38–23 |
Texas A&M
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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4–4 | 2014 | Mississippi State, 48–31 |
Troy
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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3–1 | 2013 | Mississippi State, 62–7 |
Louisiana Tech
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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8–3 | 2011 | Mississippi State, 26–20 OT |
Kentucky
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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21–21 | 2014 | Mississippi State, 45–31 |
Missouri
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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0–2 | 1984 | Missouri, 47–30 |
Alabama
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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18–78–3 | 2014 | Alabama, 25–20 |
Arkansas
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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9–15–1 | 2014 | Mississippi State, 17–10 |
Ole Miss
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Ole Miss | 21 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 38 |
Mississippi St | 0 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 27 |
at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi
- Date: November 28, 2015
- Game time: 6:15 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Clear, 68 °F (20 °C)
- Game attendance: 62,265
- Referee: John McDaid
- TV: ESPN2
- Box Score
Game information | ||
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NC State (Belk Bowl)
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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2–3 | 1995 | NC State, 28–24 |
References
- "2015 Mississippi State Bulldogs Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
- "Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Southern Miss Golden Eagles (September 5, 2015)". Mississippi State University Department of Athletics. September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- "Louisiana State Tigers vs Mississippi State Bulldogs (September 12, 2015)". Mississippi State University Department of Athletics. September 12, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- "Northwestern State Demons vs Mississippi State Bulldogs (September 19, 2015)". Mississippi State University Department of Athletics. September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
- "Mississippi State vs Auburn (Sep 26, 2015)". Mississippi State University Department of Athletics. September 26, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
- "Mississippi State vs Texas A&M (October 3, 2015)". Mississippi State University Department of Athletics. October 3, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
- "Troy Trojans vs Mississippi State Bulldogs (October 10, 2015)". Mississippi State University Department of Athletics. October 10, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
- "Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs Mississippi State Bulldogs (October 17, 2015)". Mississippi State University Department of Athletics. October 17, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
- "Kentucky Wildcats vs Mississippi State Bulldogs (October 24, 2015)". Mississippi State University Department of Athletics. October 24, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- "Mississippi State vs Missouri (November 5, 2015)". Mississippi State University Department of Athletics. November 5, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
- "Alabama vs Mississippi State (November 14, 2015)". Mississippi State University Department of Athletics. November 14, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- "Mississippi State vs Arkansas (November 21, 2015)". Mississippi State University Department of Athletics. November 21, 2015. Retrieved December 12, 2015.