​STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football’s record through four games is the same as last season.The Bulldogs are 4-0, again. But while it is the same record, this version of Mississippi State (4-0, 2-0 SEC) in coach Jeff Lebby’s third season appears significantly better than last season’s. That team lost seven of its last eight games in the regular season before also losing in a bowl game.The 2026 Bulldogs already have more SEC wins before October than they did in 2024 and 2025 combined after toppling No. 21 Missouri (3-1, 0-1) in a 31-24 thriller at Davis Wade Stadium on Sept. 26. It ended a shocking 13-game SEC losing streak in home games that dated back to the 2022 season. Kamario Taylor threw a 24-yard touchdown pass with 3:57 remaining to win the game.It sets up what could be one of the most highly anticipated games at Davis Wade Stadium in quite some time against No. 8 Alabama (4-0, 2-0) on Oct. 3 (11 a.m., ABC). The Bulldogs haven’t beaten the Crimson Tide since 2007 in Nick Saban’s first season, a 16-game losing streak.But for the first time in a while, there’s legitimate belief that Mississippi State can take down Alabama.”I think our guys understand what’s ahead of us,” Lebby said. “We’ve got a very confident football team that understands we can be as good as we want to be. We’re the ones holding the pen. It’s about resetting tomorrow and getting ready for next Saturday, but a ton of confidence in our guys to be able to go get it done.”Kamario Taylor leading Mississippi State’s resurgenceAt the forefront of Mississippi State’s turnaround is Taylor, who’s fame is growing by the week. Mississippi State fans were optimistic about him entering the season, but not many people outside the fanbase knew about the first-year starter. MORE: Why Kamario Taylor thought his Mississippi State dream was crushed soon after committingHis first three games — wins over Louisiana-Monroe, Minnesota and South Carolina — were so good that he vaulted all the way to a tie for third place on BetMGM’s odds to win the Heisman Trophy. The win against Missouri could see him climb even higher after notching a career-high 360 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception.Taylor threw two touchdowns in the first quarter and led MSU to two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter after Mississippi State had a 14-0 lead turn into a 24-17 deficit. Fluff Bothwell had 122 rushing yards, 55 receiving yards and two touchdowns.”We definitely proved to the world that we’re able to battle adversity,” Taylor said.Mississippi State’s defense allowed all of its points against Missouri in the second and third quarters, which included four straight stops to end the game. The Bulldogs are 2-0 in one-possession games after going 2-3 last season with two overtime losses. “We find ways to win, man,” said kicker Kyle Ferrie, who broke the program’s career scoring record in the win. “We’ve got winners. That’s what it is. We got winners wearing the headsets and we got winners wea