OFFENSE: A

The Bulldogs offense looked to be lightyears ahead of where it was in a Week 12 loss to Alabama, amassing 502 yards and 51 points in a convincing victory over Vanderbilt on MSU’s Senior Night in Starkville. The biggest difference between the offense’s performance this week and the egg it laid last week was the proficiency of the run game. Mississippi State ran the ball on 67 percent of their offensive snaps, rushing for 254 yards and two touchdowns at better than five yards per carry. The dominant rushing attack opened up the passing game for Dak Prescott and company, as Prescott completed 76 percent of his passes for three touchdowns without an interception. Mississippi State moved the ball at will against a Vandy defense that has held its own at times this year, earning a resounding A for its performance on Saturday.

DEFENSE: A

The Bulldogs posted their first shutout of 2014 in the win over the Commodores, limiting Vandy to just 283 yards of total offense at just 3.6 yards per play on the evening. Mississippi State forced three Vanderbilt turnovers, the most it has forced in a game since an Oct. 11 win over Auburn, and it held the Dores to just 48 yards rushing at just 1.8 yards per carry. Vanderbilt used three different quarterbacks in the loss and managed just 179 yards through the air while completing fewer than 50 percent of its passes all game. The Bulldogs defense never relented and never allowed the Vandy offense to gain any traction, earning the defense a resounding A just like the MSU offense.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

The Bulldogs were adequate on special teams against Vandy, but they were far from spectacular the way they were in the other two phases of the game on Saturday. The Bulldogs left room for improvement in kickoff coverage, allowing Vanderbilt to return seven kickoffs for 112 yards, an average of 16 yards per return. They also missed their SEC-worst fourth extra point of the year following their first touchdown of the game. Neither flaw affected the outcome of the game, but both keep the special teams from earning an A like the offense and the defense.

COACHING: B

Dan Mullen and his staff seemed to press all the right buttons against Vanderbilt on Saturday, resulting in a huge win for the Bulldogs. Mullen got back to the run game after abandoning it last week, and the offense blossomed against Vandy as a result. Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins allowed his front seven to play aggressive in stopping the run and rushing the passer, creating opportunities for the defense to force three turnovers and even score a touchdown against a struggling Dores offense. The only reason the coaches don’t receive an A this week is due to their game management early in the second half. Mullen and his staff left their starters on the field for the first three series of the third quarter despite leading 37-0 at the time, and had Prescott or Josh Robinson or another comparable star been injured Mullen would be receiving plenty of criticism in the aftermath of the victory. Luckily for MSU no one was hurt in the second half of the rout, and the Bulldogs coaching staff still earns a B for the dominant win.

OVERALL: A

Mississippi State scored more points than it has scored all season, it shut out its opponent for the first time since Week 1 and it won by a wider margin than any other game this season. The Bulldogs were brilliant against Vandy, and although the Commodores are a last-place team they are still a conference foe. Mississippi State earns a big fat A for its huge win in the SEC, keeping it alive for an SEC West title and a potential berth in the College Football Playoff.