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Mississippi State Spring Football Game 2017: 5 things to watch for

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Nov 26, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs players celebrate with the Egg Bowl trophy after the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi State won 55-20 Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs players celebrate with the Egg Bowl trophy after the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi State won 55-20 Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 26, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs players celebrate with the Egg Bowl trophy after the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi State won 55-20 Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs players celebrate with the Egg Bowl trophy after the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi State won 55-20 Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

With spring practice winding down, and the Mississippi State spring football game set to kick off April 8, we take a look at 5 things to watch for the Bulldogs.

Everyone knew 2016 would be a rebuilding year at Mississippi State. Legendary quarterback Dak Prescott headlined a group of talented overachievers that ran out of eligibility or left early for the NFL. With an under appreciated roster left over, and a tough road ahead in the rough and tumble SEC West, just about every person that cared to make a preseason prediction slotted the Bulldogs last in the division.

Things didn’t get off to a very good start, either. State stumbled out of the gate with a 21-20 loss to South Alabama – a member of the Sun Belt Conference that joined the FBS in 2012 and played its first football game just two years earlier. Seven weeks into the season, the Bulldogs sat with a 2-5 record, staring down what would appear to be the end of a school-record streak of six consecutive bowl games.

But, as has often been the case under head coach Dan Mullen, the Bulldogs pulled together and scored some upsets to turn the tide. Though their string of winning seasons ended at six, Mississippi State upset Texas A&M and Ole Miss to earn a spot in the St. Petersburg Bowl.

With the momentum of yet another Egg Bowl victory, the extra practices that came with it, and a nail-biting 17-16 victory over Miami (OH) in the bowl game, Mississippi State entered the offseason as one of the hottest teams in the SEC.

Of course, like everyone else across the league, the Bulldogs still have some improvements to make before the 2017 season kicks off. With the Maroon & White Game coming up, we take a look at five things to watch.

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