Mississippi State seems to have this season-opener thing pretty well figured out under head coach Mike Leach.

The Bulldogs have had history-making victories in both of their openers under Leach.

Two years ago, Leach’s 1st Bulldogs team knocked off defending CFP champion and sixth-ranked LSU, 44-34, at Tiger Stadium as K.J. Costello set an SEC record for passing yards in a game (623).

Last season, State began with the biggest comeback in school history in a 35-34 home victory against Louisiana Tech.

It will be a challenge for the Bulldogs to continue that historic trend when they begin the 2022 season against Memphis on Saturday in Davis-Wade Stadium.

But a lot of elements are in place to produce yet another memorable kickoff to the season.

Record-setting quarterback Will Rogers is back for a 3rd season, State returns 16 starters from last season, and the potential is there to field one of the better defenses in the SEC.

It won’t matter if the Bulldogs don’t make history — provided they continue their steak of victories in season openers. They’ve won a total of 5 consecutive season openers, pre-dating Leach’s arrival.

Making history in this opener isn’t as important as winning — and setting the tone for a better overall season than Leach’s first 2, which failed to live up to the promise suggested by their historic 1st chapters. Leach’s 1st team finished 4-7, and last season, State finished 7-6.

This year’s Bulldogs team has confidence that it can continue that progression, and some of the reasons for that confidence can be found in the last 2 openers.

Costello’s record day — which also included 5 touchdown passes and more than 100 more yards than Dak Prescott’s previous single-game record — wasn’t an indication of how his season was going to go because Rogers replaced him as the starter in mid-October.

The abrupt end to Costello’s brief career in Starkville after transferring from Stanford accelerated Rogers’ development as Costello’s successor.

When it became Rogers’ turn to start a season opener in 2021, he completed all 10 of his 4th-quarter passes (for 128 yards and 1 touchdown), and the Bulldogs scored the final 21 points in their record comeback.

Getting back to Costello’s record performance, it featured 3 100-yard receivers. State’s receiving corps is extremely deep this season, meaning Rogers might be able to distribute the opportunities in a similarly even-handed fashion.

Costello led the way as the Bulldogs scored the final 10 points in their upset of LSU, which ended the longest active win streak in the country (16 games) and was the first loss by a defending national champion opening its season at home since 1998. But that finish was nothing compared to the one in last season’s opener.

Tech increased its lead to 20 points with a little more than 12 minutes remaining. Lideatrick Griffin’s 70-yard kickoff return set up Jo’quavious Marks’ touchdown run and a 3 and out by defense preceded a 77-yard drive that ended with another Marks touchdown.

Another 3 and out preceded Rogers’ touchdown pass to Jaden Walley that completed the comeback. State withstood a missed 46-yard field goal by Tech as time expired.

The comeback featured important contributions from all 3 units, demonstrating a completeness that this year’s team is expected to possess.

The Bulldogs will try to make it 6 straight opening wins and also avenge perhaps their most difficult loss of last season. State lost to Memphis 31-29, thanks in a large part to a controversial Tigers touchdown.

The Bulldogs appeared to have downed a punt, but Memphis’ Calvin Austin III picked up the football and sprinted 94 yards for a touchdown and a 28-17 lead with 5:36 left in the game.

Rogers threw 2 touchdown passes after that, but his run for what would have been a tying 2-point conversion with 1:32 left failed.

Certainly, a victory in the rematch would bring some satisfaction, in addition to extending the winning streak in openers.

But more importantly, it would suggest that Leach’s 3rd team might be his best one — even if it doesn’t do anything historic.