OFFENSE: A

Mississippi State led the SEC in total offense in 2014 in averaging more than 500 yards per game, and it finished third in the conference in scoring offense at better than 39 points per contest.

Among the biggest reasons behind the success of the Bulldogs offense was quarterback Dak Prescott, who earned first-team All-SEC honors from the coaches and the media at season’s end. Prescott closed the year with more than 3,400 yards passing and more than 980 yards on the ground, and he threw for more than 450 yards in a loss to Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

Prescott was complemented by star tailback Josh Robinson, who finished third in the conference with more than 1,200 yards rushing this season. Together, Dakman and Robinson, as they became known, helped Mississippi State boast the SEC’s No. 3 rushing attack in averaging more than 230 yards per game on the ground.

The Bulldogs veteran offensive line was among the most reliable in the conference, and sophomore wideout De’Runnya Wilson had a breakout season with 47 receptions for 680 yards and nine touchdowns.

The MSU offense amassed at least 500 yards of offense in nine of 13 games and at least 30 points in 10 games, asserting itself as one of the most dynamic and under-appreciated units in the SEC.

DEFENSE: C

The Bulldogs defense was a perplexing unit in 2014, featuring a stout front seven loaded with future NFL talent and a suspect secondary that was victimized time and time again by the deep passing game.

Mississippi State ranked sixth in the SEC against the run in 2014, allowing 151 yards per game on the ground, but it ranked dead-last against the pass, allowing nearly 273 yards per game through the air. No other pass defense in the conference allowed more than 235 passing yards per game this season, and no other pass defense allowed more completions of 30 or more yards than MSU.

However, for all the Bulldogs’ troubles between the 20s, their defense was the nation’s best in the red zone. Mississippi State only allowed opponents to score on 64 percent of their red zone trips in 2014, four percent fewer than the nation’s next-best red zone defense (Tulane).

Defensive end Preston Smith was among the most pleasant surprises in the SEC this season, logging 15.0 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two blocked kicks. He became the first player in SEC history to earn the conference’s Defensive Lineman of the Week honor for three consecutive weeks.

Middle linebacker Benardrick McKinney was also a bright spot on the defense, amassing a team-high 71 tackles as one of the top NFL linebacker prospects in the nation.

Upon weighing the success of the front seven against the ineptitude of the secondary, Mississippi State’s defense earns a C for a more or less average season in the grueling SEC West.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C

Mississippi State’s special teams were nothing to write home about, but there were certainly no glaring flaws that cost MSU victories in 2014.

Place kicker Evan Sobiesk missed three of his 59 point-after tries this year, more than anyone else in the conference, but he also converted 12 of 14 field goal tries as one of the SEC’s most accurate kickers.

Punter Devon Bell was fifth in the SEC in averaging 43.2 yards per punt, and landed 18 of his 50 punts inside opponents 20 yard lines against only five touchbacks.

The Bulldogs maintained the SEC’s third-worst kickoff return unit in 2014, and its second-worst punt return unit. Mississippi State lacked explosive plays in the return game, and freshman Jamoral Graham had difficulties fielding kicks at times throughout the season.

However, Mississippi State also boasted the SEC’s best kickoff coverage unit, allowing fewer than 18 yards per return on the season. Again, like the defense, the polarizing strengths and weaknesses of the special teams result in an average grade at season’s end.

COACHING: B+

A number of Mississippi State fans cried for Dan Mullen to be fired following the end of last season, and when he wasn’t many felt he was entering the 2014 season on a hotter seat than any other coach in the conference.

One year later, Mullen has collected a mantle-full of Coach of the Year honors upon leading Mississippi State to a 10-win season in perhaps the most hyper-competitive division in college football history. He overcame a 15-game losing streak against ranked opponents to win three straight games against top 10 teams, and he earned MSU its first Orange Bowl invite since 1940.

Few coaches achieved as much as Mullen in 2014, and even fewer did so against the kind of steep odds Mullen faced when the season began. His team’s ugly late-season losses to Alabama, Ole Miss and Georgia Tech dropped his grade to slightly below an A, but don’t get it confused — there were few coaches in college football better than Mullen this season.

OVERALL: B+

Mississippi State won 10 games for just the second time in 70 years and became the first college team to beat three ranked teams in three weeks in more than 30 years. It’s easy to understand why the Bulldogs earned such a promising grade for their 2014 season.

But why is the grade not an A? Well, an A could have been earned if Mississippi State had won the SEC West, or if it had at least beaten a battered Ole Miss team to close the season with just one loss to Alabama. It could have even earned an A with a convincing win in the Orange Bowl on a major national stage.

Instead, the Bulldogs lost all three of those games, capping a memorable season with a disastrous finish that nearly undid many of MSU’s achievements during its 9-0 start. Mississippi State proved itself to be a great team but not an elite one, so it gets the closest grade to an A without actually earning an A — a B+.

For a team that many expected to finish in the middle of the pack once again this season, Mississippi State over-achieved and deserves recognition for that. Fans may wish the grade was an A, but a B+ is nothing to shrug at.