2013 Mississippi State Bulldogs football
Liberty Bowl champion
Liberty Bowl, W 44–7 vs. Rice
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	Western Division
Record	7–6 (3–5 SEC)
Head coach	Dan Mullen (5th season)
Offensive coordinator	Les Koenning (5th season)
Offensive scheme	Spread (Multiple)
Defensive coordinator	Geoff Collins (3rd season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Davis Wade Stadium
Seasons ← 2012 2014 →

The 2013 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Dan Mullen, who was in fifth season with Mississippi State in the 2013 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).

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	2:30 p.m.	vs. No. 13 Oklahoma State*	Reliant Stadium Houston, TX (Texas Kickoff)	ABC/ESPN2	L 3–21	35,874
September 7	2:30 p.m.	Alcorn State*	Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS	CSS	W 51–7	55,085
September 14	6:00 p.m.	at Auburn	Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, AL	ESPN2	L 20–24	85,817
September 21	6:30 p.m.	Troy*	Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS	SECRN	W 62–7	55,096
October 5	6:00 p.m.	No. 10 LSU	Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS (rivalry)	ESPN	L 26–59	57,113
October 12	6:30 p.m.	Bowling Green*	Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS	SECRN	W 21–20	55,148
October 24	6:30 p.m.	Kentucky	Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS	ESPN	W 28–22	55,102
November 2	11:21 a.m.	at No. 14 South Carolina	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	SECTV	L 16–34	82,111
November 9	2:30 p.m.	at No. 11 Texas A&M	Kyle Field College Station, TX	CBS	L 41–51	88,504
November 16	6:45 p.m.	No. 1 Alabama	Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS (rivalry)	ESPN	L 7–20	57,211
November 23	11:21 a.m.	at Arkansas	War Memorial Stadium Little Rock, AR	SECTV	W 24–17 OT	45,198
November 28	6:30 p.m.	Ole Miss	Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS (Egg Bowl)	ESPN	W 17–10 OT	55,113
December 31	3:00 p.m.	vs. Rice*	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN (Liberty Bowl)	ESPN	W 44–7	57,846
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll All times are in Central time

Schedule Source:^[1]

Game summaries

#13 Oklahoma State

The No. 13 Oklahoma State Cowboys have been known more for their offense than their defense. The Cowboys' defense, however, kept Oklahoma State in the game long enough for their offense to wake up against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. J.W. Walsh threw for 135 yards and ran for another 125 and a touchdown to lead Oklahoma State to a 21–3 win over Mississippi State in the Texas Kickoff in Houston's Reliant Stadium.

Walsh finished 18 of 27 after relieving starter Clint Chelf on the Cowboys' third series. Jeremy Smith rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries for Oklahoma State (1–0), which piled up 432 yards on offense after struggling for most of the first half.

Mississippi State's Tyler Russell finished 10 of 16 for 133 yards before being helped off the field and taken to the locker room in the third quarter after being brought down on a scramble. Dak Prescott replaced Russell, throwing for 89 yards on seven of 17 passing. LaDarius Perkins rushed for 50 yards on 16 carries and caught three passes for 52 yards for the Bulldogs (0–1), which had only 333 yards of offense and had trouble keeping drives going, finishing two of 16 on third down conversions. Oklahoma State's defense also had three sacks and intercepted two Mississippi State passes.

Mississippi State marched down the field in 57 yards on 13 plays taking over six minutes off the clock, but the Bulldogs were only able to get Devon Bell's 40-yard field goal to take a 3–0 lead. Russell was 5 of 7 on the drive for 58 yards. Oklahoma State's offense gained only 67 yards with less than four minutes remaining in the first half before Walsh got going. Walsh worked the quarterback keeper three times for gains of 46 yards down the left sideline, 12 yards down the left sideline to the MSU 3 and capping it off with a 3-yard touchdown run to give the Cowboys a 7–3 lead with 2:16 left in the half. The Bulldogs looked to respond before the half as Jameon Lewis weaved the kickoff return 66 yards to the OSU 34, but a holding penalty and a sack by Tyler Johnson stopped the drive.

OSU continued the offensive momentum in the second half, driving 75 yards in 11 plays to take a 14–3 lead on a Smith 1-yard run with 10:41 left in the third. Smith tacked on a 20-yard touchdown run to begin the fourth quarter to up the lead to 21–3.

Alcorn State

Dak Prescott threw for 174 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start and Mississippi State breezed past Alcorn State 51–7. Mississippi State (1–1) didn't use several regular starters, including quarterback Tyler Russell, who suffered a concussion in the Bulldogs' season-opening loss to Oklahoma State. It didn't matter. The Bulldogs led 21–0 by early in the second quarter and 37–0 by halftime. It was the most points in the first half for the program since 1996. Mississippi State's Ashton Shumpert rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Nick Griffin added 54 yards on the ground and a touchdown.

Alcorn State (1–1), which plays in the Football Championship Subdivision, managed just two first downs in the first three quarters. The Braves scored their only touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a 25-yard pass from John Gibbs Jr. to Tollete George.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Prescott showed his poise early in the first quarter by converting two straight passes on 4th and 9 for a first down. The first was an 18-yard strike to Joe Morrow, but it was disallowed after officials ruled Alcorn State had called timeout. A sold out Davis Wade Stadium groaned, but Prescott came right back and hit Malcolm Johnson for a 23-yard gain. Two plays later, Prescott burst through the line for an 11-yard touchdown run and a 7–0 lead. The rout was just beginning. Mississippi State outgained Alcorn State 308–30 in total yards on the way to the huge halftime lead. Prescott completed 12 of 19 passes while also rushing for 20 yards and a touchdown. He didn't play in the second half.

The second half started just as lopsided. Brandon Holloway ran the kickoff back 95 yards to Alcorn's 1-yard line, and Mississippi State scored two plays later for a 44–0 lead with 13:57 left in the third quarter. Alcorn State's George finished with four catches for 80 yards and the Braves' only touchdown. Gibbs was 11 of 25 passing for 135 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Auburn

Nick Marshall hit C.J. Uzomah for an 11-yard touchdown with 10 seconds left to lift Auburn to a 24–20 victory over Mississippi State on Saturday night, ending the Tigers' 10-game Southeastern Conference losing streak. Marshall led the Tigers (3–0, 1–0 SEC) down the field with big running and passing plays in easily his best game. The junior-college transfer completed his first five passes for 55 yards in leading Auburn 88 yards over the final 1:56. He then ran 11 yards on 3rd-and-10 before lofting the decisive throw to the right corner of the end zone. The play was reviewed and instant replay officials ruled that the 6-foot-4 tight end, Uzomah, was pushed out of bounds, enabling him to come back.

Subbing for an injured Tyler Russell for a second straight game, quarterback Dak Prescott ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 213 for Mississippi State (1–2, 0–1). Russell sustained a concussion in the opener against Oklahoma State.

With the game on the line, Marshall suddenly looked like anything but a guy who's had six weeks to learn an offense. He hit freshman Marcus Davis on three straight passes to cover 29 yards, then had a 17-yarder to Jaylon Denson. He also salvaged short gains with a couple of runs before heading out of bounds. Tre Mason's 3-yard run pushed it to the 11 before Auburn called timeout with 15 seconds left. Marshall was 23-of-34 passing for 339 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice. He passed for just 246 yards and two TDs in his first two games as starter combined. Marshall showed a knack for turning potential miscues into big plays. He dropped the shotgun snap, collected it on the bounce and hit a wide-open Quan Bray downfield for a 76-yard touchdown on the opening drive. Ryan White then hit Brandon Fulse for the two-point conversion. In the third quarter, Marshall caught his own batted pass and raced for a 37-yard gain. The Bulldogs forced the Tigers to settle for Cody Parkey's 47-yard field goal after Jamerson Love tackled Corey Grant for a loss. Parkey also had a 40-yarder and 19-yarder.

The Bulldogs were able to keep in check Auburn tailbacks Corey Grant, Tre Mason and Cameron Artis-Payne, who had been the strength of the offense. Prescott completed 15 of 28 passes and carried 22 times. LaDarius Perkins gained 36 yards after he was one of seven starters held out of a route of FCS team Alcorn State.

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen gambled on fourth-and-2 from his own 29 late, and Prescott delivered with a 3-yard gain. That enabled the Bulldogs to burn off another two minutes before punting, though they couldn't get another first down. It proved just enough time for the Tigers.

Mississippi State twice forced turnovers in Auburn territory in the second half, but failed to produce points both times.

Troy

Dak Prescott threw for 233 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 53 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 36-yard touchdown pass to lead Mississippi State over Troy 62–7. Prescott's diverse and efficient performance was matched by Jameon Lewis, who caught a 50-yard touchdown pass, rushed for an 8-yard touchdown and threw the 36-yard touchdown that Prescott caught on a trick play. Prescott was starting just his third career game. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound sophomore completed 13 of 21 passes.

Mississippi State (2–2) led 10–7 after the first quarter, but erupted for 35 points in the second quarter to take a 45–7 halftime lead. Troy (2–2) never recovered from the brutal second quarter. Corey Robinson, who is the NCAA's active leader in career passing yards, completed 15 of 25 passes for just 105 yards, one touchdown and one interception. It was the most points Mississippi State has scored in a game since 1994. The Bulldogs finished with 551 total yards.

Besides Prescott and Lewis, Mississippi State didn't have many players with big individual numbers. That's because just about any Bulldog who touched the ball produced. Ten players caught a pass and nine had at least one rushing attempt.

The Troy-Mississippi State series has traditionally been close, with the Trojans even earning one of the biggest wins in school history against the Bulldogs in 2001. But this one turned ugly by halftime.

#10 Louisiana State

Zach Mettenberger surveyed the field with plenty of time to throw and then delivered a perfect spiral to Odell Beckham Jr., who stopped short of the sideline, spun inside and galloped 33 yards untouched for the touchdown. It was the ninth and final time the two hooked up for a completion, and it proved to be the knockout blow. Mettenberger threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, Beckham had 179 yards receiving and two touchdowns and No. 10 LSU blew past Mississippi State for a 59–26 victory.

It was a tight game for three quarters, but Mettenberger's touchdown to Beckham gave LSU a 38–26 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter and Mississippi State couldn't respond. LSU closed the game on a 31–0 run, including four touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Mettenberger completed 25 of 29 passes in another impressive performance during the senior's breakout season. Beckham was his favorite target – but Jarvis Landry also caught eight passes for 96 yards. It was a nearly flawless performance, and helped erase some of the sting of last week's 44–41 loss to Georgia. LSU's Jeremy Hill added 157 yards rushing and two touchdowns while Kenny Hilliard added 39 yards rushing and three touchdowns. The Tigers (5–1, 2–1 Southeastern Conference) have won 14 straight over Mississippi State (2–3, 0–2) dating back to 1999. LSU has a 21–1 record under Miles following a loss.

Mississippi State's Dak Prescott threw for 106 yards and rushed for 103 more. Jameon Lewis caught seven passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. The Bulldogs' offense was good, especially early, but LSU's was even better. The Tigers' receiver duo of Landry and Beckham was unstoppable, even when Mississippi State appeared to have good coverage, and Mettenberger found them early and often. The Tigers finished with 563 total yards.

LSU needed all those yards, because the defense was gashed for a second straight week. The Tigers gave up nearly 500 yards last week in a loss to Georgia and Mississippi State had some early success with a two-quarterback system. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Prescott has been terrific in Russell's place, providing much more of a running threat. On the team's first offensive drive, he rewarded Mullen's confidence with a 28-yard touchdown run to pull the Bulldogs to 7–6. Russell entered the game early in the second quarter and also had immediate success, throwing a 20-yard touchdown to Lewis to pull Mississippi State to 21–16 in the second quarter. The Bulldogs took a 23–21 lead on Russell's 59-yard touchdown pass to De'Runnya Wilson, but LSU responded with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Mettenberger to Beckham to take a 28–23 lead into halftime. Russell's second touchdown pass was the 39th of his career, which set a Mississippi State record. He finished 7 of 11 for 146 yards passing.

The teams combined for 608 total yards in the first half – 334 for LSU and 274 for Mississippi State. LSU's defense tightened in the second half, giving up just three points.

Bowling Green

Dak Prescott rushed for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead Mississippi State to a 21–20 win over Bowling Green in a non-conference game Saturday night. After a failed fourth-and-1 by MSU, Bowling Green (5–2) had the ball and 4:21 on the clock at the end of the game, but couldn't get inside field goal range. Mississippi State (3–3) had 422 yards of offense, 245 on the ground as the Bulldogs won their 11th straight nonconference home game.

The game was a back-and-forth affair. Mississippi State opened the game on a 9-play, 75-yard drive that ended in a LaDarius Perkins touchdown. Bowling Green's BooBoo Gates intercepted Prescott on MSU's next offensive series, and the Falcons eventually settled for a 35-yard field goal by Tyler Tate. Prescott responded on the next drive by rushing for a 75-yard touchdown. In the second quarter, Bowling Green answered with a 96-yard drive capped off by a 7-yardAndre Givens touchdown run. Mississippi State countered with a 75-yard drive and a 10-yard Prescott touchdown run with 1:04 left in the second quarter. But quarterback Matt Johnson worked Bowling Green into field goal range, and Tate nailed a 45-yarder to end the first half.

Tate missed a 45-yard field goal on the opening drive of the third quarter, but Bowling Green responded with a 7-play touchdown drive on its next possession, to pull within one point; the eventual final margin. With 4:21 left in the game, Mississippi State went for a fourth-and-1 on the Bowling Green six yard line. Prescott's rush was inches short, and the Bulldogs turned it over on downs. Johnson completed four passes and Green rushed once to get the Falcons to midfield. But then the drive stalled, and Johnson failed to complete a fourth-and-11 to Ryan Burbrink, and Mississippi State ran out the clock.

For MSU, Perkins rushed for 83 yards and one touchdown. Perkins, Joe Morrow and Jameon Lewis each caught four passes. Prescott was also 7-of-11 passing for 75 yards and one interception. Mullen again used both Prescott, a sophomore, and veteran quarterback Tyler Russell throughout the game. Russell finished 12-of-14 for 102 yards.

Johnson was 19-of-33 for 194 yards for Bowling Green. Travis Green rushed for 99 yards and Ryan Burbrink caught four passes for a game-high 66 yards. Bowling Green's Gates was ejected in the second quarter for targeting.

Kentucky