MORE ON MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL: Inside the Bulldogs' strategy for combatting football attendance woes He raised the bar of success without hoisting it so high that it cannot be exceeded. That’s the unplanned genius of Leach’s second season. If the Bulldogs win at least eight games, Leach would become the first coach in program history to post year-over-year record improvements in both his second and third seasons. Mullen and Sherrill each boasted Year 3 teams ranked in the preseason Top 25, but both finished the season unranked and posted records inferior to the previous season. Leach has the chance to achieve something neither Dan Mullen nor Jackie Sherrill could do: Deliver a Year 3 that exceeds the hype.Ī coach’s third season has become a peculiar pitfall at Mississippi State. Experienced teams should be consistent teams, and the Bulldogs benefit from the return of 16 offensive or defensive starters, tops in the SEC. This erratic nature is not uncommon for Leach’s teams, but this season offers the promise of more stability.