Dan Mullen reads this column.

It’s not the most logical way to explain Mississippi State’s demolition of LSU in Death Valley — a place where not even dreams go to die because Tiger fans have already killed them in the parking lot — but it does make me feel all warm and cozy inside. Just one week after calling for Mullen to finally win a big game in this space, he answered the (cow)bell with a victory that sent his team skyrocketing up the polls and into SEC West contention faster than LSU fans could leave Tiger Stadium Saturday night.

Behind Dak Prescott’s 373 total yards and three touchdowns, the Bulldogs were able to snag the program’s biggest win since upsetting Ron Zook’s No. 3 Florida team in Starkville 14 years ago. MSU has now joined No. 10 Ole Miss in the competitive fray for the crown of college football’s toughest division in a turn of events that not even Skip Bayless could pretend to say he saw coming.

In fact, it seems like the entire state of Mississippi is playing a solid brand of football right now that has the state buzzing like it just polished off a sixer of Southern Pecan.

Not to be outdone by their cowbell-clanging cousins, the Ole Miss Rebels have jumped out to a 3-0 start highlighted by an opening-day neutral site win over Boise State in the Georgia Dome. Bo Wallace went from throwing three interceptions in the first half against the Broncos to completing a jaw-dropping 75.5 percent of his passes in the next 10 quarters for an average of 341 yards a game — good for eighth nationally.

Even Southern Miss has joined in the victory formation, albeit in a much more humble way. The Golden Eagles have already doubled their win total from a year ago by beating Appalachian State at home to improve to 2-2 on the season, effectively giving fans something to cheer about that doesn’t involve a round orange ball. USM allowed the Mountaineers to drive down the field with ease to score a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but Dasman McCullum blocked the potential game-tying extra point with six seconds left in regulation to give the Eagles the “W.” These guys aren’t letting the last two seasons define them, and it’s finally showing up in the win column.

Outside of FBS play, Jay Hopson’s Alcorn State team is steamrolling every FCS-level competition on the schedule. The 3-1 Braves’ only loss, as a matter of fact, came on the road to Southern Miss and it was a game that came down to the last possession.

And Delta State, Mississippi’s Division II crown jewel, has jumped out to a 2-0 start with both wins coming on the road.

Mississippi may not have any W’s in its name, but it has plenty on the scoreboard right now with many more to come — as long as Dan Mullen gets the rest of his fellow in-state coaches to start reading.

•

Cory Gunkel is a reporter. He can be reached at 601-636-4545, Ext. 178, or by email at cory.gunkel@vicksburgpost.com.