Coach Mike Leach’s Mississippi State team almost saw Auburn shock them the way they were shocked a year earlier.

The Bulldogs staged the biggest comeback in school history last season in Auburn, overcoming a 28-3 deficit with 40 consecutive points to beat the Tigers, 43-34.

On Saturday night at Davis Wade Stadium it was State that raced to a 17-0 lead, which it extended to 24-3 at halftime. But the Bulldogs twice lost leads before forcing overtime and finally prevailing 39-33 in the “John Cohen Bowl.”

All’s well that ends well. And this year’s meeting – coming days after the news broke that Cohen was leaving to become Auburn’s new athletic director – ended well for State just as last year’s did.

But the erratic nature of Saturday’s performance is concerning when it comes after back-to-back poor road performances in losses to Kentucky and Alabama.

Auburn, of course, isn’t Alabama. It’s not Kentucky. And that certainly contributed to the Bulldogs’ ability to escape with a victory despite not scoring a point in the 3rd quarter and just 9 in the 4th quarter.

Then after the Tigers missed a field goal on the 1st possession of overtime, State was able to win on Jo’quavious Marks’ touchdown run.

Last year the Bulldogs’ resiliency stood out in the defeat of Auburn. Will Rogers led the way by tying a school record with 6 touchdown passes.

Rogers was really productive again Saturday, passing for 357 yards and 3 touchdowns while overcoming 5 sacks and an interception.

He finally took sole possession of the school’s career record for touchdown passes after tying Dak Prescott on Oct. 15. Rogers didn’t throw a touchdown pass against Alabama 2 weeks ago and the Bulldogs had an open date last week.

The record-breaker came on a 13-yard scoring pass to Caleb Ducking in the first quarter, a play that also enabled Rogers to break Prescott’s record for career passing yards (9,376). Rogers total now stands at 9,627 with 3 regular-season games to play.

But it was Auburn’s resiliency that nearly extended State’s losing streak to 3 games.

The visitors were playing just a few days after coach Bryan Harsin was fired. Interim head coach Cadillac Williams was guiding a group that was 3-5 (1-4 in the Southeastern Conference) with Harsin.

The Tigers, who wound up being penalized 14 times for 115 yards, easily could have fallen apart after watching the Bulldogs race to the 3-touchdown lead. Instead it was the Bulldogs who started falling apart.

State wound up with just 370 total yards, rushing for only 13. The defense gave up 256 rushing yards.

At one point Leach got so frustrated with his receivers’ performance that after talking to them on the sideline he folded up the chairs they had been sitting in.

“We were a lot more interested in sitting in that chair than being on the football field,” the coach said afterward. “We had everything but playing cards over there.”

The Bulldogs had essentially a non-existent running game, a feast-or-famine passing game and fumbled 5 times. But they lost just 2 even though punter George Georgopoulos dropped a snap and was tackled for a turnover on downs.

Archer Trafford also had a punt that traveled just 13 yards. But the special teams chipped in with Lideatrick Griffin’s 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that led to a 24-3 halftime lead.

Massimo Biscardi made a 44-yard field goal to tie the score with 29 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Ben Raybon’s line drive hit an Auburn blocker and Jett Johnson recovered for the Bulldogs at their 48.

State reached the Tigers 33, but a false start cost 5 yards and Biscardi’s attempt from 56 yards wound up short.

So the Bulldogs had to work overtime to finish a game that looked like a cakewalk at halftime.

But just like last year, when all was said and done against Auburn, State was walking away with a victory.

And the Bulldogs, after looking for much of the game like a team deserving of a berth in a nice bowl and looking for part of the game like a team undeserving on any bowl bid, were officially bowl eligible.