Mississippi State won 10 games last season for just the second time in more than 70 years and the third time since the SEC was formed more than 80 years ago.

Although MSU is among the least accomplished programs that dates back to the SEC’s earliest days, it is as tradition-laden as any other proud southern program, and those traditions have only been strengthened by the Bulldogs’ recent success in the Dan Mullen era.

But how well do you know the Bulldogs? Here are 20 facts pulled from the annals of Mississippi State football.

Above .500, depending on who you ask: Mississippi State has accumulated a record of 540-528-37 during its 110-season history. However, due to vacated wins as punishment for prior NCAA infractions through the years, Mississippi State is recognized as having a record of 523-546-36, which is, of course, a losing record all-time. So while Mississippi State has won more than half the games in which it has taken the field, it is not recognized as such.

SEC title drought: The Bulldogs are one of 10 founding members of the SEC (formed in December of 1932) that remain in the conference today, yet they’re still in the midst of a 73-season SEC title drought dating back to the school’s first and only conference championship in 1941. The Bulldogs won 10 games for just the second time since that 1941 season last year and were leading the SEC West standings through the three-quarter mark of the season. They won the SEC West in 1998 and played in the SEC championship game that year, but lost to Tennessee, failing to end the drought.

Cowbells permitted: Perhaps the most iconic entity surrounding the MSU football program are the cowbells fans bring to home games each Saturday. Its origins are unknown but it worked its way into Mississippi State’s football culture in the 1930s and has been an established fan tradition ever since. The cowbells and all other artificial noisemakers were banned by the SEC in 1974, although MSU fans were clever enough to find ways to circumvent (or blatantly disregard) the rule until it was amended in 2010. The amendment allows fans to bring cowbells to games on the condition they are not run once the ball is snapped and until the conclusion of the play at hand.

Not always Dawgs: Mississippi State was once known as Mississippi A&M College in the early 1900s, and during those days its nickname was the Aggies. In 1932 its named changed to Mississippi State College, and with that change it also changed its nickname to the Maroons. The team went with the nickname Bulldogs in 1961 upon receiving university status, and since then the team has been known as the Mississippi State University Bulldogs.

The legacy of Bully I: Mississippi State’s first-ever Bulldog mascot, Bully I, served in the early 1960s and cemented the legacy of Bully the Bulldog for generations to come. He’s now buried under the 50 yard line at Davis Wade Stadium beneath the players’ bench, forever connecting him with the university he spent his life representing.

Breaking down barriers: When Mississippi State bid farewell to legendary coach Jackie Sherrill after the 2003 season, many wondered where the long-suffering Bulldogs would turn to continue the progress made throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The choice was Sylvester Croom, who had his ups and downs as a head coach but remains significant no matter his coaching record. Croom was the first African-American head coach in SEC history, helping break down barriers that would lead to the hirings of Joker Phillips at Kentucky, James Franklin and Derek Mason at Vanderbilt and Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M. Croom was 21-38 in five seasons on the job, winning more than four games just once in that time.

Six and out: In the last 65 years of Mississippi State football, only two coaches have remained on the job for longer than six years: Sherrill, who coached from 1991-2003, and Mullen, who has now coached six seasons dating back to 2009 and is entering his seventh on the job. It’s remarkable to think that before last season many wanted Mullen fired, and now after a 10-win season he’s the second-longest tenured coach in program history dating back to the 1940s, and arguably the most successful upon reaching five bowls in six years.

Dawgs love Cats (and Commodores): Of the 11 SEC teams other than Mississippi State that have been in the conference since before 2012 (sorry Texas A&M and Missouri), MSU only has a .500 record or better against two of those foes: Kentucky and Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs are an even 21-21 against Kentucky, winning the last six meetings between the two to amass that record. The only team they’re above .500 against is Vanderbilt, against which the Bulldogs are 13-7-2 all-time, good for a win percentage of .591.

Laying fewer eggs: Mississippi State trails in-state rival Ole Miss in a rivalry that spans more than a century. In 111 meetings all-time, Mississippi State has a record of 43-62-6 against the Rebels, however they’ve struck lightning since hiring Mullen, posting a 4-2 record against Ole Miss during the Mullen era. It’s also worth noting Ole Miss is 2-1 against MSU since Hugh Freeze took over the Rebels.

Bowl mania: Mississippi State has gone to five straight bowl games during the Mullen era, which is remarkable considering from 1942 until Mullen was hired prior to the 2009 season the Bulldogs appeared in only 11 bowl games in 66 years and only nine in the 28-year span from 1980-2008, during which bowl berths were more prevalent than in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.

Almost a Heisman: First-team All-SEC quarterback Dak Prescott finished eighth in the Heisman voting last season, marking the best finish on the Heisman ballot by a Mississippi State player since Shorty McWilliams cracked the top 10 in 1944.

Biggest bowl win: The Bulldogs’ first bowl appearance of the Dan Mullen era also marked the Dawgs largest margin of victory in a bowl game in school history. Mississippi State topped the Michigan Wolverines by a final score of 52-14 (38 points) in the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Day 2011. Michigan led 14-10 through one quarter before MSU scored 42 unanswered points to win in a rout.

19 first rounders: Mississippi State has had 19 alumni chosen in the first round of the NFL Draft dating back to 1949. Two of those players were drafted in the last five years: Offensive tackle Derek Sherrod (2011) and defensive end Fletcher Cox (2012). The team’s first first-round pick was defensive back Harper Davis in 1949.

Dixon ahead of the rest: Tailback Anthony Dixon is Mississippi State’s all-time leading rusher, and frankly it’s not even close. The four-year star rushed for 3,994 yards on 910 career carries (4.4 yards per carry), while only one other player in school history has even cleared the 3,000-yard plateau. That player is Jerious Norwood, who rushed for 3,222 career yards. Dixon is also the team’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 42. Again, only one other player in MSU history has more than 30 rushing touchdowns: Dak Prescott, who has only made 20 career starts, all at quarterback.

Dynamic duo: Mississippi State has had only two players in its history earn consensus All-America honors: cornerback Fred Smoot (2000) and defensive lineman Jimmy Webb (1974). Smoot went on to be a second-round pick of the Washington Redskins in 2001, while Webb was the 10th overall pick of the 1975 draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

Dak Attack: Most SEC fans know Dak Prescott was the best quarterback in the conference last season, and his first-team All-SEC designation only affirms that. However, most fans might not realize that Prescott’s 2014 season was the best by a Mississippi State quarterback in school history. Prescott’s 3,449 yards and 27 passing touchdowns were both single-season records at MSU, and he’s rushed for more than 800 yards in consecutive seasons as well.

McDole’s 1K: Mardye McDole, Mississippi State’s leading receiver in the late-1970s, remains the only player in school history to amass at least 1,000 yards in a single season. He posted 1,035 yards in 1978, when throwing the ball was far less prevalent than it is today. In fact, amazingly only two MSU wideouts have even cleared the 900-yard plateau in the 2000s: Jameon Lewis (2013) and Chad Bumphis (2012). For context’s sake, three SEC wideouts cleared the 1,000-yard mark last season alone.

Home sweet home: Mississippi State’s football attendance has been better during the Dan Mullen than ever before in school history. From October 2009, Mullen’s first season at MSU, until September of last season, Mississippi State hosted a school-record 31 straight sellout crowds. The streak was broken at last year’s win over UAB, when the school hosted one of the 10 largest crowds in program history but could not claim a sellout due to its newly expanded stadium.

Jack Cristil for the long haul: Cristil is a broadcasting legend in Mississippi. He’s a member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and a former SEC Broadcaster of the Year. He called MSU football and men’s basketball games for 58 years, and left an impression on nearly every Bulldogs fan raised during that time (1953-2011). Another way to look at Cristil’s tenure with Mississippi State: He called 63 percent of MSU’s all-time football games (636) and 55 percent of all-time men’s basketball games (1,538).

No nattys: In more than 100 years of Mississippi State football, the Bulldogs have never been crowned a national champion by any of the polls that used to determine champions before the BCS era.