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JACKSON, Miss. - Coach Sylvester Croom spliced together Mississippi State's greatest hits of 2007 to inspire his team this week.

The Bulldogs' eight-win breakthrough was a thumbs-up performance, full of big plays and poignant moments. Croom hopes the film inspires more than nostalgia as Mississippi State prepares to host No. 13 Vanderbilt in a game he thinks could turn around the Bulldogs' dismal season.

"We just watched the way that we ran around to the ball on defense and stopped the run," linebacker K.J. Wright said. "We just want to get that swagger back that we had."

The struggling Bulldogs don't have to look far to find that lost mojo. Vanderbilt has clearly stolen it, using interceptions, goal-line stands and grit to go 5-0.

Already off to its best start in SEC play, Vanderbilt (3-0 SEC) can start the season 6-0 for the first time since 1928 and likely clinch its first bowl bid since 1982 with a win in Starkville.

Those themes sound awfully familiar to Croom.

"They just know how to win," Croom said. "They've done a very good job of selling their players on it. I've got to do a better job of selling ours on it."

Off to a disheartening 1-4 start, the Bulldogs (0-2 SEC) seem to be buying in finally. Croom said the team's slow start can be attributed to many things, including a lack of leadership, injuries and offseason incidents that robbed the team of a pair of key starters.

The team showed signs of renewed vigor in a 34-24 loss to LSU and an off week has players feeling better.

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