SEC Nation is heading to Starkville for a marquee Week 5 stop, setting up shop ahead of No. 16 Mississippi State’s matchup with No. 7 Alabama.
The SEC Network’s traveling pregame show will broadcast Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT, with the full crew set to break down the conference slate from Mississippi State’s campus. Matt Barrie, Chase Daniel, Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper, Tim Tebow and Marion Crowder will be on hand for the previews.
For Finebaum, the destination is one of the league’s best scenes.
“There is no better atmosphere in the SEC than Starkville for an 11 a.m. kickoff,” Paul Finebaum told AL.com of the announcement. “We have done it several times and having the Dog Walk live literally right behind us about 9 a.m. is exhilarating - especially with about 40,000 screaming.”
The weekend coverage won’t stop there. Marty & McGee will also be live Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
CT, with Marty Smith and Ryan McGee delivering the latest from the crossroads of southern lifestyle and college football. The Paul Finebaum Show will air from Starkville on Friday from 2-6 p.m.
CT.
The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide both arrive with momentum after big wins last Saturday.
Alabama rolled past South Carolina 49-18 behind a huge day from Keelon Russell, who threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns while adding another score on the ground. Ryan Coleman-Williams caught two touchdown passes, and Red Morgan turned an interception into points with a return for a touchdown.
Russell finished 21 of 27, and after a slow third quarter, Alabama closed strong with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. South Carolina had trimmed the margin to 35-18 before the Tide pulled away again.
Mississippi State answered with its own comeback effort, rallying past Missouri 31-24. Kamario Taylor threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead 24-yard strike to Sanfrisco Magee with 3:57 left. Taylor went 27 of 38 and guided the Bulldogs through two long touchdown drives in the first quarter and two more in the fourth.
Fluff Bothwell gave Mississippi State a big all-around night, rushing for 122 yards and a touchdown while also catching six passes for 55 yards and another score. Anthony Evans III added eight catches for 114 yards, and Magee finished with two touchdown receptions.
In Other News...
Alabama Just Got A Serious Warning Before Mississippi State
Mississippi State comes into Saturdays matchup with Alabama carrying real momentum, and much of it has flowed through Kamario Taylor. The Bulldogs are 4-0 and ranked No. 16 in the AP poll, with Taylor piling up 1,377 total yards and 15 touchdowns in the early going while steering a fast-paced offense that has made people around the league take notice. Even before kickoff, the Tide know this is not the kind of early SEC test you can treat like a routine tune-up.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack added to that sense of urgency by calling Taylor possibly the best quarterback his defense has seen in the last three years. Wommack pointed to Taylors deep ball, his RPO decision-making and the way he leads a quick, athletic receiving group, all of which help explain why Mississippi State has looked so sharp. With a nationally televised 11 a.m. CT start looming, Alabama is staring at a fast start in Starkville and a quarterback who has already issued a loud warning. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Has Little Margin For Error In Starkville After One Warning Sign
Alabama came out of the South Carolina game with plenty to feel good about, but the film also left behind a few reminders that there is still work to do. The Tide looked sharp in stretches, yet the same concerns that have lingered at times this season showed up again in run defense and in the back end of the secondary, two areas that can get exposed quickly if a game gets loose.
Starkville does not figure to offer much room for a slow start. Mississippi State brings a physical running game and a quarterback in Kamario Taylor who can force defenses to stay honest, which means Alabama will need cleaner execution on both sides of the ball than it has shown in some recent moments. If the Tide want to leave with a win, the defense has to hold its ground and the offense has to turn efficient drives into points without giving the Bulldogs extra chances. [Read more 🡒]
DeBoer Just Put Alabamas Recruiting Pressure In Clear Focus
Kalen DeBoer used a recent look inside Alabamas recruiting operation to put the programs priorities in sharper focus, and it started with the role Courtney Morgan has carved out as the first general manager in school history. Morgan has become a central figure in coordinating the Tides recruiting work, setting weekly meetings that bring the recruiting staff and coaching assistants onto the same page as Alabama tries to keep its roster-building machine moving in step with the standards that come with the job.
The broader picture is one of transition and pressure, because Alabamas class rankings have fluctuated and the program has already leaned heavily on the transfer market, bringing in 20 transfers last offseason. Even with that approach, the plan is to put more emphasis on high school recruiting going forward, which makes the alignment DeBoer praised even more important as the Tide try to balance immediate help with the long-term pipeline that has always defined the programs edge. [Read more 🡒]