Dan Mullen's last season at Mississippi State team was his best, uniform wise. The maroon jerseys were updated to match the white jerseys, and as a result, the Bulldogs looked excellent all year, with the exception of two consecutive games in which alternates were worn. Even still, the black uniforms worn vs UMass and Veterans Day alternates worn against Alabama were better than other alternate uniforms that State has worn over the years; I would argue that both were better than the two alternates worn in 2016. Only 7 different combinations were worn in 2017, the least since 6 were worn in 2014.
3 Helmets, 4 Jerseys, 5 Pants, 7 Combinations
3 Helmets, 4 Jerseys, 5 Pants, 7 Combinations
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Changes/Additions Made in 2017:
| New Maroon Jersey Design: The biggest change to the Bulldogs' uniform lineup in 2017 was made to the home maroon jerseys. The double white sleeve stripes with black outlines were replaced with white-gray-white stripes, matching those on the maroon pants that were introduced in 2016. The collar color was also changed from black-white-black to solid white. Curiously, the black outline was not removed from the numbers. The upgrades made to the Bulldogs' maroon jerseys gave them a clean, cohesive home uniform for the first time since 2013, and their best since at least the mid 90s. The maroon jerseys were worn 6 times in 2017, with an even split of 3 times with white pants and 3 times with gray pants. |  Photo by Jim Lytle, AP Photo |
| Veterans Day Alternate Uniform: For the second year in a row, Adidas gave Mississippi State an American Flag themed alternate uniform for Veterans Day. The 2017 version, which kept the flag design constrained to the numbers and stripes, didn't have a huge pants logo, and was worn with the regular silver helmet, still had some flaws, but was much, much better than the 2016 black version worn against Texas A&M. |  Photo by Rogelio V. Solis, AP Photo |
| 2015 Black Uniforms Brought Back: After being ditched for the aforementioned Veterans Day uniforms in the 2016 blackout game against Texas A&M, the 2015 black uniforms were brought back for the 2017 UMass game. The only difference from the 2015 Kentucky game is that the all-black uniforms were worn with silver helmets this time instead of matte maroon. |  Photo By Kelly Price, HailStatePics |
2017 Uniform Stats:
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Helmets:
For the first time since the 2009-2010 seasons, State had the same exact helmet lineup in consecutive seasons in 2016-2017. The maroon, white, and silver helmets worn in 2016 all survived into 2017, and no other designs were added.
Maroon: 9 Games; 7-2 (.778) Record
White: 2 Games; 1-1 (.500) Record
Silver: 2 Games; 1-1 (.500) Record
Jerseys:
In addition to the standard maroon and white jerseys, two alternate jerseys (Black; Maroon Veterans Day) were worn in 2017.
Maroon: 6 Games; 5-1 (.833) Record
White: 5 Games; 3-2 (.600) Record
Black: 1 Game; 1-0 (1.000) Record
Veterans Day: 1 Game; 0-1 (.000) Record
Pants:
In addition to the standard white, gray, and maroon pants, alternate designs were worn with both alternate jerseys.
White: 7 Games; 6-1 (.857) Record
Gray: 3 Games; 2-1 (.667) Record
Black: 1 Game; 1-0 (1.000) Record
Maroon: 1 Game; 0-1 (.000) Record
Veterans Day: 1 Game; 0-1 (.000) Record
Combos:
After wearing ten each of the last two seasons, the Bulldogs wore only seven uniform combinations in 2017. Two combinations were worn three times, two were worn twice, and three were worn only once.
Maroon/Maroon/White: 3 Games; 3-0 (1.000) Record
Maroon/Maroon/Gray: 3 Games; 2-1 (.667) Record
Maroon/White/White: 2 Games; 2-0 (1.000) Record
White/White/White: 2 Games; 1-1 (.500) Record
Silver/Black/Black: 1 Game; 1-0 (1.000) Record
Silver/Maroon/Maroon: 1 Game; 0-1 (.000) Record
Maroon/White/Maroon; 1 Game; 0-1 (.000) Record
For the first time since the 2009-2010 seasons, State had the same exact helmet lineup in consecutive seasons in 2016-2017. The maroon, white, and silver helmets worn in 2016 all survived into 2017, and no other designs were added.
Maroon: 9 Games; 7-2 (.778) Record
White: 2 Games; 1-1 (.500) Record
Silver: 2 Games; 1-1 (.500) Record
Jerseys:
In addition to the standard maroon and white jerseys, two alternate jerseys (Black; Maroon Veterans Day) were worn in 2017.
Maroon: 6 Games; 5-1 (.833) Record
White: 5 Games; 3-2 (.600) Record
Black: 1 Game; 1-0 (1.000) Record
Veterans Day: 1 Game; 0-1 (.000) Record
Pants:
In addition to the standard white, gray, and maroon pants, alternate designs were worn with both alternate jerseys.
White: 7 Games; 6-1 (.857) Record
Gray: 3 Games; 2-1 (.667) Record
Black: 1 Game; 1-0 (1.000) Record
Maroon: 1 Game; 0-1 (.000) Record
Veterans Day: 1 Game; 0-1 (.000) Record
Combos:
After wearing ten each of the last two seasons, the Bulldogs wore only seven uniform combinations in 2017. Two combinations were worn three times, two were worn twice, and three were worn only once.
Maroon/Maroon/White: 3 Games; 3-0 (1.000) Record
Maroon/Maroon/Gray: 3 Games; 2-1 (.667) Record
Maroon/White/White: 2 Games; 2-0 (1.000) Record
White/White/White: 2 Games; 1-1 (.500) Record
Silver/Black/Black: 1 Game; 1-0 (1.000) Record
Silver/Maroon/Maroon: 1 Game; 0-1 (.000) Record
Maroon/White/Maroon; 1 Game; 0-1 (.000) Record
Potential 2018 Changes:
Primeknit A1 Template:
On December 28th, 2017, Adidas unveiled their newest football uniform template, the "Primeknit A1" template. Replacing the "Primeknit" template that debuted in 2015, the "A1" template ditches the egregious primeknit pattern that adorned the sides of the pants and almost all of the jersey on the previous template. A much more subtle diagonal line pattern is present on the front; while still visible, the new pattern is much less distracting than the Primeknit pattern was. Another noticeable change is that the seam across the shoulder blade has been eliminated, leaving the shoulder cap as the only major seam on the jersey. Overall, the "A1" template appears to be a solid upgrade over Adidas's previous templates.
Pictures of the Primeknit A1 template in action at the Army All-American Bowl
It will be interesting to see if Mississippi State makes the change to the "A1" template in 2018. When the "Primeknit" template was released in 2015, the Bulldogs were one of the first teams to switch to it, so it stands to reason that they will also be one of the first teams to wear the "A1" template. With this in mind, I went ahead and put together a quick (incomplete) mockup of the "A1" template to show what it might look like if the Bulldogs were to upgrade for the 2018 season:
On December 28th, 2017, Adidas unveiled their newest football uniform template, the "Primeknit A1" template. Replacing the "Primeknit" template that debuted in 2015, the "A1" template ditches the egregious primeknit pattern that adorned the sides of the pants and almost all of the jersey on the previous template. A much more subtle diagonal line pattern is present on the front; while still visible, the new pattern is much less distracting than the Primeknit pattern was. Another noticeable change is that the seam across the shoulder blade has been eliminated, leaving the shoulder cap as the only major seam on the jersey. Overall, the "A1" template appears to be a solid upgrade over Adidas's previous templates.
Pictures of the Primeknit A1 template in action at the Army All-American Bowl
It will be interesting to see if Mississippi State makes the change to the "A1" template in 2018. When the "Primeknit" template was released in 2015, the Bulldogs were one of the first teams to switch to it, so it stands to reason that they will also be one of the first teams to wear the "A1" template. With this in mind, I went ahead and put together a quick (incomplete) mockup of the "A1" template to show what it might look like if the Bulldogs were to upgrade for the 2018 season:
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Joe Moorhead Effect:
It's not uncommon for a coaching change to have an impact on a team's uniforms. Especially back in the day in college football, the head coach often had the primary role in ordering and deciding on uniforms. In more modern times, its often more of an athletic department thing, but the head coach most definitely still has an influence. Look no further than P.J. Fleck at Western Michigan and now Minnesota as proof.
It'll be interesting to see what impact, if any, new Bulldog Head Coach Joe Moorhead has on the uniforms. Penn State, where Moorhead was the offensive coordinator for the last two seasons, of course has the most conservative uniforms in college football. At Moorhead's last head coaching job, the Fordham Rams wore relatively generic uniforms, pretty par for the course for an FCS school, with the exception of these American-flag themed alternates that were worn in Moorhead's final season at Fordham in 2015.
A couple of interesting things about Fordham's uniforms during Moorhead's tenure were the use of helmet stickers and the lack of names on the back of the jerseys. The helmet sticker thing is something that has the biggest chance of carrying over to Mississippi State; usually that's a coach's preference. It would definitely be different to see dog bones or something similar used as reward stickers on players' helmets here.
On the nameplates, someone mentioned to me on Twitter the other day that they wouldn't be surprised to see State remove the player names on the back of the jerseys next season, based on the fact that neither Penn State nor Fordham wore them under Moorhead's tenure. That may well be the case, but I don't buy it for the time being. Aside from 2012-2014, Penn State has never worn names on the back of their jerseys; Fordham didn't wear names before Moorhead arrived, and they haven't since either. I think that has more to do with them being a smaller school ordering generic uniforms than it does a preference on the coach's part. But if the names were to be removed in 2018, State would have to order new jerseys with higher numbers; Adidas jerseys look pretty bad with blank nameplates on them because the numbers are so low. This probably wouldn't be a problem if we update to the "A1" template anyway.
What Changes are Needed:
State's uniforms were pretty darn good in 2017; all of the major problems from the 2015 set have gradually been fixed, and State looks much better for it. All that's left are a few minor nitpicks, all of which would easily be fixed with a template upgrade, and really aren't a big deal at all if they aren't fixed.
It's not uncommon for a coaching change to have an impact on a team's uniforms. Especially back in the day in college football, the head coach often had the primary role in ordering and deciding on uniforms. In more modern times, its often more of an athletic department thing, but the head coach most definitely still has an influence. Look no further than P.J. Fleck at Western Michigan and now Minnesota as proof.
It'll be interesting to see what impact, if any, new Bulldog Head Coach Joe Moorhead has on the uniforms. Penn State, where Moorhead was the offensive coordinator for the last two seasons, of course has the most conservative uniforms in college football. At Moorhead's last head coaching job, the Fordham Rams wore relatively generic uniforms, pretty par for the course for an FCS school, with the exception of these American-flag themed alternates that were worn in Moorhead's final season at Fordham in 2015.
A couple of interesting things about Fordham's uniforms during Moorhead's tenure were the use of helmet stickers and the lack of names on the back of the jerseys. The helmet sticker thing is something that has the biggest chance of carrying over to Mississippi State; usually that's a coach's preference. It would definitely be different to see dog bones or something similar used as reward stickers on players' helmets here.
On the nameplates, someone mentioned to me on Twitter the other day that they wouldn't be surprised to see State remove the player names on the back of the jerseys next season, based on the fact that neither Penn State nor Fordham wore them under Moorhead's tenure. That may well be the case, but I don't buy it for the time being. Aside from 2012-2014, Penn State has never worn names on the back of their jerseys; Fordham didn't wear names before Moorhead arrived, and they haven't since either. I think that has more to do with them being a smaller school ordering generic uniforms than it does a preference on the coach's part. But if the names were to be removed in 2018, State would have to order new jerseys with higher numbers; Adidas jerseys look pretty bad with blank nameplates on them because the numbers are so low. This probably wouldn't be a problem if we update to the "A1" template anyway.
What Changes are Needed:
State's uniforms were pretty darn good in 2017; all of the major problems from the 2015 set have gradually been fixed, and State looks much better for it. All that's left are a few minor nitpicks, all of which would easily be fixed with a template upgrade, and really aren't a big deal at all if they aren't fixed.
- Some consistency with the alternates:
- Both of State's alternates this season followed the 15-16 double striping pattern instead of the 2017 one. Hopefully in 2018, any alternate uniforms are more consistent with the rest of the set. In particular, the oversized pants logo never needs to see the light of the day again. I'd prefer they put stripes on all pants, but if they insist on not doing so for alternates, the small hip logo that was on the Veterans Day pants is the way to go.
- Remove the black number outlines on the maroon jerseys:
- I was pretty surprised that the black outlines were not removed from the numbers on the maroon jersey when the black on the collar and sleeves was. An upgrade to the "A1" template would be the perfect opportunity to completely rid State's regular uniforms of black.
- Move the pants logo on the gray pants to make them consistent with the white and maroon pants:
- I think this one has a pretty good chance of happening in 2018. The gray pants, arguably the Bulldogs' best, are three seasons old now, and are probably due for replacement. An upgrade to the "A1" template would be a good time to bring the gray pants in line with their maroon and white counterparts.
- Make the pants stripes a bit thinner:
- Along those same lines, one can't help but notice that the stripes on the white, maroon, and gray pants are excessively wide. I haven't really complained, because the stripes are a tremendous upgrade from the oversized logo worn in 2014 and 15, but it wouldn't hurt to thin the stripes up a little bit if an upgrade to "A1" is made.
- Bring back the matte maroon helmets:
- My personal favorite Mississippi State football helmets of all time are the various matte maroon helmet designs worn from 2011 through 2015. They were essentially replaced in 2016 by the silver helmets; the silver helmets are cool too, and I'm content if they stick around for another year or two. However, the matte maroon helmets always look so good, especially on the road, and I would welcome them back with open arms. Alternatively, if the silver helmets are only going to be worn with alternates, you could replace them with matte or shiny black helmets to create a true all-black look, which would look the best if we really have to do the black alternates.
- Move the Adidas logo away from the center of the jersey?:
- From 2009 through 2014, the Adidas logo was on the right chest of the Bulldogs' jerseys. However, starting with the 2013 Egg Bowl, and then again with the DWS 100 uniforms in 2014, and full time starting in 2015, the Adidas logo was moved to the middle of the chest, directly above the "Mississippi State" banner wordmark. It works great for bowl games by providing plenty of space for the bowl patches, but the rest of the time, the middle appears too cluttered up while the right chest is completely empty.
- One thing you might notice about the "A1" template is that the collar doesn't actually extend all of the way down; there's mesh around the top of the middle chest area, so there is actually more space for a logo to go there, potentially negating the clutter problem mentioned above. However: if you'll notice, both of the Army All-American game uniforms have the Adidas logo on the left chest. In addition, all of the Adidas college baseball uniforms that have been revealed so far in 2018 feature the Adidas logo on the left chest (even though it looks worse on State's maroon MS jersey, stacked on top of the M over S). Based on that, when State upgrades to the "A1" template, I would not be at all surprised to see the Adidas logo on the left chest and the SEC patch moved to the right chest.
That does it for the 2017 Mississippi State Football Uniform Recap. It was a great season, one of the Bulldogs' best ever uniform wise. Looking forward to even better seasons in 2018 and the years to come. #MoorCowbell
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