Johnie Earl Cooks was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Cooks was selected by the Baltimore Colts as the second overall pick in the 1982 NFL draft. He played from 1982 to 1991 for the Colts, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns. He was a member of the Giants when they defeated the Buffalo Bills 20–19 in Super Bowl XXV. Cooks played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Daniel Mullen is an American college football coach, who is currently the head coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from 2009 to 2017 and the University of Florida from 2018 until 2021. From 2022 until 2024 he worked as a studio analyst and color commentator for ABC and ESPN.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the sport of American football. The Bulldogs compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They also have won one SEC championship in 1941 and a division championship in 1998. The Bulldogs have 26 postseason bowl appearances. The program has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124 NFL players. The Bulldogs’ home stadium, Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field, is the second oldest in the NCAA Division I FBS.
The 2008 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University as a member of the Western Division of the Southern Conference (SEC) during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by Sylvester Croom in his fifth and final season as head coach, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 4–8 with a mark of 2–6 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for fourth in the SEC's Western Division. Mississippi State played home games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi.
The 2009 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Mississippi State has been a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) since the league's inception in 1932, and has participated in that conference's Western Division since 1992. The Bulldogs played their home games in 2009 at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi, which has been MSU football's home stadium since 1914.
The 2012 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Dan Mullen, who was in his fourth season with Mississippi State. The Bulldogs played their home games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi, and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The 2000 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University as a member of the Western Division of the Southern Conference (SEC) during the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by tenth-year head coach Jackie Sherrill, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 8–4 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, tying for third place in the SEC's Western Division. Mississippi State was invited to the Independence Bowl, where Bulldogs defeated Texas A&M in overtime. The team played home games at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi.
The 1999 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University as a member of the Western Division of the Southern Conference (SEC) during the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by ninth-year head coach Jackie Sherrill, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 10–2 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, placing second in the SEC's Western Division. Mississippi State was invited to the Peach Bowl, where Bulldogs defeated Clemson. The team played home games at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi.
The 1998 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University as a member of the Western Division of the Southern Conference (SEC) during the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Jackie Sherrill, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 8–5 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, sharing the SEC's Western Division title with Arkansas. By virtue of Mississippi State's head-to-head win over the Razorbacks, the team advanced to the SEC Championship Game, losing to the eventual national champion, Tennessee. This remains the only appearance in the SEC Championship Game for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs were invited to the Cotton Bowl Classic, where they were defeated by Texas. Mississippi State played home games Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi.
The 2014 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Dan Mullen, who was in his sixth season with Mississippi State. The Bulldogs played their home games at the newly expanded and renovated Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The LSU–Mississippi State football rivalry, sometimes informally known as “Cowbells vs Cajuns”, is an American college football rivalry between the LSU Tigers and Mississippi State Bulldogs. Both universities are founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and are currently members of the SEC West with a total of 117 meetings. This rivalry is LSU's longest and Mississippi State's second behind the Egg Bowl against the University of Mississippi. LSU leads the series 75–36–3.
The 1996 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University as a member of the Western Division of the Southern Conference (SEC) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Jackie Sherrill, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, placing fourth in the SEC's Western Division. Mississippi State played home games at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi.
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.
The 2016 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2016 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 eighth-year head coach Dan Mullen. Despite having a 5–7 record, the first losing season since 2009, Mississippi State qualified for a bowl bid due to their high APR score. Mississippi State beat the Miami RedHawks in the St. Petersburg Bowl to finish the season at 6–7.
The 2019 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2019 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 second-year head coach Joe Moorhead. Following the team's loss in the Music City Bowl Moorhead was fired as the Bulldogs' head coach.
The 2019 Music City Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 30, 2019, with kickoff at 4:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. The 22nd edition of the Music City Bowl featured Southeastern Conference member Mississippi State and Atlantic Coast Conference member Louisville, and was one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football season. Sponsored by the Franklin American Mortgage Company, the game was officially known as the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.
The 2020 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2020 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 first-year head coach Mike Leach.
The 2022 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi, and compete in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by third-year head coach Mike Leach through the regular season, with Zach Arnett taking over for the team’s bowl appearance after Leach's death in December 2022.
The 2023 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs were led by Zach Arnett, who was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach in December 2022 following the death of Mike Leach, until his firing on November 13, 2023.
