STARKVILLE – Mississippi State has adopted the slogan “Spread the Fun” for Super Bulldog Weekend, which is set for April 17-19. It’s a reference to new football coach Dan Mullen’s spread offense, which he ran successfully at Florida.

With all the focus on that side of the ball, it’s easy to forget that the Bulldogs’ defense has to adjust to new coaches and schemes, too. It’s not nearly as drastic a change as the offense, which ran the West Coast last year, is undergoing.

But it’s a change, and it’s going well. Or so it seems.

“I like the effort out of the defense, and the things they’re doing,” Mullen said following Tuesday’s practice. “The only thing that makes you nervous defensively is our lack of skill on offense, that we’re not getting a false sense of confidence right now.”

The defense’s slogan, unofficially, has been, “Run to the ball.” The Bulldogs have shown they can do that.

Following a defense-dominated scrimmage on Saturday, though, senior linebacker Jamar Chaney admitted that looks might be deceiving.

“Yeah, it does look like that, but they’ve got a lot of stuff to learn on offense,” Chaney said. “Defense, all you’ve got to do is give great effort and you’ll look good out there.”

State’s biggest adjustment won’t be so much the X’s and O’s as settling the positions. Chaney, who took a medical redshirt last year, is now playing alongside K.J. Wright and juco transfer Chris White.

Up front, Pernell McPhee, another juco guy, has been shifted around. A defensive end at ICC, he’s seen time there as well as at tackle.

The secondary seems solid, but Damein Anderson is being pushed at one of the cornerback slots.

As well as the defense seems to be progressing, it has something in common with the offense: All positions are up for grabs.

“Shoot, we’ll find out who’s going to start next September,” Mullen said.

Making it complicated

- Following Tuesday’s practice, the offensive linemen were held back for some extra work with position coach John Hevesy. It seems they’ve got more on their plate this season than last.

“I don’t know if they were quite as complex last year protection-wise in the offensive line as we are, and how much we put on the line,” Mullen said. “They’re going to need just getting used to it. The nice thing is our defense is bringing us all kinds of different blitzes, which is what we want thrown at us.”

MSU gave up 37 sacks last season, third-most in the SEC, and was 11th in rushing (100.6 yards per game).

New uniforms coming

- Mississippi State’s new football uniforms will be unveiled at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Barnes and Noble Campus Bookstore. The Bulldogs’ duds are made by adidas, which struck an apparel deal with MSU late last year to replace Russell Athletic.

So what’ll they look like? It’s a secret, of course, but athletics director Greg Byrne, who said the unis have a “lot of trim,” expects a positive reaction from the fans.

“I mean, they look good. They look sharp,” Byrne told the Journal in January. “I think no matter your taste, I think you’ll be OK with it.”

Replica jerseys will be available at retailers come mid-July.