Consistency. it’s a word you hear a lot of in football, and it’s a word that Mike Leach knows all too well. He’s not the only coach that preaches it, however, that point was never made more clearer than in Mississippi State’s first game.

The Bulldogs found a way to win a wild game in Starkville last weekend that saw the Bulldogs make a record-setting comeback against Louisiana Tech, 35-34. The competition ramps up even further this weekend as the North Carolina Wolfpack of the ACC pay a visit to Starkville. This will mark the seventh time that these two teams have met with the Bulldogs winning the last matchup in the 2015 Belk Bowl.

Oddsmakers currently see the Wolfpack as a 3-pt favorite going into this one. However, anytime a Mike Leach team lines up to play, coaches and fans alike wonder which team is going to show up? Will it be the team that played lights out in the first and fourth quarters or the one that offered a putrid performance in the second and third quarters? Thankfully, the Bulldogs have had a week to correct and learn from their mistakes and hopefully put together a four-quarter performance for the ages.

For Leach though, the coach would counter and say consistency is not built on hope but with focus and discipline. If the Bulldogs can play with focus and discipline, then it’s likely they’ll be clicking on all cylinders come Saturday. It won’t be easy though.

The Wolfpack enjoyed a dominating victory over South Florida last week where they shut out the Bulls, 45-0. Nonetheless, it’s no secret that South Florida is currently in arebuilding phase, so it leads to the question as to how good are the Wolfpack? They come into the game with a balanced attack featuring quarterback Devin Leary, and dynamic duo running backs Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person Jr. to help pace the offense.

The Wolfpack defense also showed up last week as they held the Bulls scoreless. The Bulldogs will once again start Will Rogers at quarterback this week, and the sophomore has proven that he has the moxie to perform at a high level. The Bulldogs offense will benefit this week with the return of Malik Heath to a talented receiving group. The Bulldogs defense came through last week when the game was on the line and even the players admitted that they play offthe emotion of what the offense is doing.

The one big question mark that entered the season and continues this week is how well will the Bulldogs hold up against the Wolfpack defense? If the Bulldogs can start off fast and get the Wolfpack back on their heels early, it could be a very enjoyable day for the team and fans. However, if that lack of consistency that we saw last week rears its head in the Bulldogs performance against the Wolfpack, it could make for a long evening in Starkvegas.