Alabama’s trip to Mississippi State arrives with a different kind of feel than it did a few weeks ago.
The Crimson Tide rolled past South Carolina 49-18 on Saturday, and that win gave Alabama some real momentum. But the next stop is shaping up to be a much bigger challenge. Mississippi State is unbeaten, ranked, and playing like a team that is a lot better than the one many expected to see after a 5-8 season in 2025.
The Bulldogs have spent the first month proving people wrong. They opened with a blowout of ULM in Starkville, then went to Minnesota in Week 2 and left with a 38-13 win.
After that came a tougher test at South Carolina, where Mississippi State fell behind early but fought back for a 41-34 win in Columbia. Then came Missouri, which arrived in Starkville with a 3-0 record and still left with a loss, as the Bulldogs closed out a 31-24 victory in the final minutes.
That run has put Jeff Lebby’s team at 4-0 and into the AP rankings heading into Alabama.
A lot of that success has centered on quarterback Kamario Taylor, who has been one of the SEC’s best early in the season. The sophomore Mississippi native has thrown for 1,192 yards and 14 touchdowns with only two interceptions, while completing 69.2% of his passes through four games. Alabama knows exactly what kind of test that creates, and Crimson Tide quarterback Keelon Russell made clear he’s been paying attention.
“That’s my guy,” Alabama QB Keelon Russell said Saturday. “We hit each other up almost every day, through anything.
Love him to death, he’a great player. I mean, everybody in here knows of him.
I can’t wait to just get after it next week with him. It’s going to be a great game.”
For Alabama’s defense, Taylor is the name that jumps off the page. He has been the best quarterback the Crimson Tide has seen so far this season, and stopping him will be a major part of the job in Starkville.
The setting only adds to the pressure. Mississippi State has started 4-0 before - it did it last season, and before that the Bulldogs hadn’t reached that mark since 2014. That 2014 team was No. 1 in the first ever College Football Playoff rankings before losing to Alabama, which then went on to make the first four-team playoff field.
Now the Bulldogs get their chance to try to avoid a similar finish.
The crowd should be ready for it. Even with an 11 a.m.
CT kickoff, the cowbells will be loud and the atmosphere will be plenty sharp. Mississippi State fans pushed hard for ESPN’s College Gameday to come to town, but the show is headed to Iowa-Ohio State instead.
That won’t change the energy in Starkville.
For Alabama, this game no longer looks like a simple warmup for the tougher October stretch ahead, one that includes Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M. It looks like a real test right now, against a Mississippi State team that has already shown it can finish games and has a shot to keep climbing toward Atlanta.
In Other News...
Alabama Game Day Is Becoming A Celebrity Stage For Tide Culture
Alabamas game-day scene has become more than just a football backdrop, with recent home dates drawing a mix of former Crimson Tide stars and outside names who have ties to the programs culture. Mark Ingram and Brandon Miller were among the familiar faces in attendance, adding to the feeling that Alabama Saturdays have turned into a reunion as much as a sporting event.
Scott Stapps presence fit that atmosphere, too, given his longtime support of Alabama and his family connection to the program. Kid Rock also made an appearance, and the larger point is hard to miss: Alabama football has become a stage where athletics, alumni pride and celebrity interest overlap, with the music side of that spotlight set to keep building as Creeds performances approach. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads Into Mississippi State With New Depth Concerns
Alabamas injury picture is starting to crowd the conversation heading into its trip to Mississippi State, with two more players added to a list the Crimson Tide has had to manage carefully. Will Sanders and Jayvin James both came out of the South Carolina game hurt, and while Sanders is expected to be available, James is now sitting in the questionable bucket as the Tide tries to sort out who will be ready to go.
The bigger concern may be the ripple effect on the middle of the defense. Linebackers Justin Hill and Desmond Umeozulu are already out, which leaves Alabama thinner than it would like at a spot that can be tested quickly in conference play. With depth being pushed and availability still in question for at least one more player, the Tide will have some decisions to make before it lines up against the Bulldogs. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads Into Mississippi State With One Lingering Injury Concern
Alabama is getting closer to its trip to Mississippi State with a clearer picture of the injury situation along both lines, though not every answer is in yet. Kalen DeBoer said offensive lineman Jayvin James is questionable, while William Sanders is expected to be ready, which at least gives the Tide some needed depth as they head into another SEC road test.
The bigger concern may still be on the defensive side, where outside linebacker Justin Hill and defensive end Desmond Umeozulu are both out, and Umeozulu is expected to need more time. Safety Zavier Mincey also sat out the previous game after getting hurt in pregame warmups, leaving Alabama with a few moving pieces to monitor as the week unfolds. [Read more 🡒]