Kamario Taylor has made a habit of writing the same thing under his eyes before every Mississippi State game: “283 Baby.”
Sometimes he adds a cross or a heart between the words, but the message stays the same. After the Bulldogs’ 38-13 win at Minnesota on Sept. 12, the sophomore quarterback drew attention for explaining what it means, and he’ll put it on again when MSU (2-0) visits South Carolina (2-0) in its SEC opener on Sept. 19 at 3:15 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
Taylor said after the Minnesota game, “I do it every game,” he said. “It's where I'm from.
I'm from Macon, Mississippi, but the part of Macon I'm from is called Baptist Hill. BHC.
It's called Baptist Hill Chapel. So, B is the second letter of the alphabet, H is the eighth letter and C is the third letter.
"So, 283 Baby. Just keep it simple and keep it flat. I like to represent that part of the town very well.”
Taylor’s mom, LaQuandra Conner, said he actually meant to say community, not chapel. The reference is to Baptist Hill Community, a neighborhood in Macon.
It is not tied to the 283 area code, which is in Ohio.
Taylor is from Macon, Mississippi, about 30 minutes south of Starkville, and the town has a population of about 2,500 people. He went to Noxubee County High School and was a four-star recruit in the 247Sports Composite, ranked No. 119 nationally, No. 11 among quarterbacks and No. 4 in Mississippi.
Here are Kamario Taylor's 2026 stats entering the South Carolina game:
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Mississippi State Faces Its First Real Test With Doubts Already Growing
Mississippi State heads into its SEC opener with a little more buzz than many expected, but also with a tougher reality check waiting in Columbia. ESPNs FPI gives South Carolina a 64.5% chance to win Saturdays matchup at Williams-Brice Stadium, and the Gamecocks are favored by 4 points even though both teams are 2-0. It sets up an early measuring-stick game for a Bulldogs team that has handled its first two outings and now has to prove that start can hold up once league play begins.
Quarterback play will be a big part of the conversation, with LaNorris Sellers giving South Carolina a dangerous presence and Kamario Baylor helping Mississippi State get off to its strong opening. Both have been effective early, which makes this more than just a typical September SEC game on the SEC Network. For Mississippi State, the question is whether that early confidence travels well enough to quiet the doubts that come with facing a first real test on the road. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Faces Its First Real SEC Test At South Carolina
Mississippi States first SEC road test of the season is set for Sept. 19, when the Bulldogs head to Williams-Brice Stadium to open league play against South Carolina. The matchup will kick off at 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network, with Matt Schumacker and Aaron Murray on the call, giving a 2-0 team fresh off a win over Minnesota its first real chance to see where it stands inside the conference.
It is the kind of early gauge that can say plenty about a team before the grind of the SEC fully takes hold. Mississippi State has handled its first two games, but Columbia is a different kind of proving ground, and this one should offer a clearer read on how the Bulldogs match up when the stakes and the spotlight both rise a step. [Read more 🡒]