‘A Team That I’ll Never Forget’
October 20, 2024 | Football, Joel Coleman
A decade later, the 2014 Bulldogs’ accomplishments are still echoing in Starkville and beyond.
STARKVILLE – Dak Prescott was at Lost Pizza on an October day back in 2014. By the time the legendary Mississippi State quarterback and current Dallas Cowboys signal caller left the eatery, everything had changed forever – for himself, his teammates and Mississippi State University.
It'd just been officially announced that the Bulldogs were the No. 1 college football team in the nation. In the best of ways, life had been altered.
"It was different," Prescott recalled on Saturday. "Walking out [of the restaurant] to a standing ovation, just understanding that, hey, my life has changed. Honestly, it prepared me for what my life is today. I tell people that all the time. The year 2014 in Starkville, Mississippi, was maybe the most chaotic fun that I've ever been a part of. The NFL is honestly second to that. It was crazy."
A decade since it all transpired, Prescott, his teammates, coaches and support staff from the historic group that put MSU on the mountaintop of college football were all back in Starkville over the weekend to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their accomplishments. Amidst the party, a couple of facts came to the surface.
One, time flies. But two, what this squad did will never fade from the hearts and minds of anyone in Maroon and White.
"It's crazy it's been 10 years," Prescott said. "It was all truly a blessing. It's a team that I'll never forget."
The fans inside Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday testified they, too, remember it all crystal clear. That much was apparent at the end of the first quarter as the stars of 2014 made their way out of the tunnel to be honored – their old entrance theme, "I'm Shipping Up To Boston", blaring over the venue's speakers.
The crowd roared, clanging their cowbells in approval as though former linebacker Richie Brown had just picked off another pass against Texas A&M, or like late, great receiver De'Runnya 'Bear' Wilson had just crossed the goal line again versus Auburn.
For a brief moment in time, everyone was able to hit rewind. It was something the 2014 squad did frequently as they reunited over the course of Friday and Saturday.
"We were talking with [former head coach Dan Mullen] last night and people were asking him, 'When did you think y'all were going to be this good?'" 2014 offensive lineman Ben Beckwith shared. "[Mullen] said, 'I knew the day we walked into fall camp we had a special group.' We all knew we were going to be a team that was special that year, even though a lot of people didn't know about us yet."
Added 2014 receiver Fred Ross:" It was the group of brothers we had. The fans. Just the whole thing. We all were like-minded. We had the same goals, and it came together, and we made it happen."
Made it happen, indeed. The team started off with three non-conference wins before arguably the most memorable three-game stretch in Bulldog football history.
The Dawgs took on three straight Top-10 foes. They took down all three of them.
Prescott pushed State past his home-state LSU Tigers down in Baton Rouge. Then, down went Texas A&M as Mississippi State Maroon reigned supreme. It set up a showdown in Starkville against Auburn.
ESPN's College GameDay set the scene for a victory over the Tigers that'll live forever. A rainstorm in the midst of the contest was likely the saving grace for many in the crowd that day as folks could claim the water trickling down their cheeks wasn't tears, but precipitation.
No one could've been faulted for weeping, because everyone knew the triumph over Auburn was about to give MSU the digit every team seeks – No. 1.
Maybe never has such a small figure meant so much to so many, and it was all made possible by the group who reconvened this weekend.
"What made us special were the men that were on the team," Prescott said. "We were guys that were committed to Coach Mullen and his program and believed in the strength and conditioning. We were guys that developed. [There weren't] too many five-star [prospects] or four stars or whatever other than Chris Jones and Fred Ross.
"Other than that, it was guys that had chips on their shoulders and really embraced that chip and embraced being the guys that had to put the hard hat on every day and come in and earn it. Over time, we just continued to grow and grow. It grew into a brotherhood that wouldn't back down from anything. We loved a challenge and believed we were the best and would fight to the end."
For five glorious weeks, MSU sat at the top of every poll. The Bulldogs will forever hold the distinction of being the first-ever team tabbed No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
They went 7-0 at home and capped off the year with the school's first Orange Bowl appearance in 74 years.
But above everything else, the 2014 Bulldogs blazed a trail to the top. They showed that there are no limits at Mississippi State.
And their legacy lives on, in Starkville and beyond.
"Truly, truly was a special team that I think about often and use certain parts of that team to help me still in the league," Prescott said.