LOOK: Mississippi State unveils alternate uniform for Tennessee State

Mississippi State isn’t afraid to go outside of the box and do something a bit wild. Look no further than the Bulldogs’ head coach Mike Leach, one of the most polarizing personalities in the SEC.

Coming off a remarkable comeback win over a talented Auburn team that dominated the Bulldogs early, it’s clear Leach and Mississippi State are feeling great with Tennessee State up next.

On Wednesday, the team’s official social media accounts dropped the uniform combination the Bulldogs will rock on Saturday and while it’s impossible to get all the fans on board, it’s clear the staffers that head up uniform design took a creative approach for these threads.

Saturday's #TeamAdidas Fit:

Maroon x Gray x Gray#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/NctWJ3vlXE

— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) November 18, 2021

Although most fans consider uniforms completely meaningless, it’s obvious the Mississippi State brass has put an emphasis of constantly switching uniform combinations since Adidas took over as the apparel sponsor in 2009.

“HailStateUnis” is an independent resource that takes a comprehensive look at nearly every stat, figure and game outcome when it comes to the Bulldogs’ threads over the year.

According to their website, Mississippi State has worn 15 alternate jerseys in 19 games. The Bulldogs have a 12-7 all-time record in alternates, including a currently active 5-game winning streak since switching to Adidas in 2009.

Mississippi State gets praise from Paul Finebaum

The Bulldogs’ win over Auburn was enough to get them to the No. 25 spot in the College Football Ranking and while it hasn’t been perfect, Leach is still young in his tenure in Starkville and each major victory is a step in the right direction.

National college football media minds are taking notice, too.

“I’m giving Leach credit because I think you have to,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum said on The ESPN College Football Podcast. “When you’re down by that much – and Leach is a mercurial character – you can almost see him tuning out and getting a book to read the second half. That was incredible. It really was.”

Mississippi State’s win over Auburn painted a picture of what the 2021 season could’ve been for the Bulldogs – who have lost three close games to Memphis (31-29), LSU (28-25) and Arkansas (31-28) this season. The team’s one lopsided loss was a 49-9 defeat by Alabama, but that makes sense.

If those three close losses could’ve been wins instead, Leach’s club would be sitting at 9-1 overall and 6-1 in SEC play right now heading into its final two regular season games against Tennessee State (Nov. 20) and Ole Miss (Nov. 25). That would’ve set them up for a top-tier postseason bowl game.

No matter what the future holds, the 2021 Mississippi State Bulldogs have taken on the personality of their coach. You truly never know what to expect, but more often than not, it’s exciting.