Mississippi State finally got the monkey off its back last Saturday, and now the Bulldogs get an even bigger shot at making noise.
After 14 tries, Mississippi State ended a 12-year wait for a ranked-vs.-ranked win by knocking off then-No. 19 Missouri, 31-24.
That pushed the Bulldogs up to No. 16 and set up a Saturday afternoon SEC showdown in Starkville, Miss., against No. 7 Alabama in a matchup of undefeated teams.
“Gonna be an incredible challenge. But our guys are excited about that piece of it,” Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby said. “That’s what this schedule is, that’s week in and week out.”
The win over Missouri carried extra weight because Mississippi State’s last victory against a ranked opponent while also being ranked in the AP Top 25 had come all the way back on Oct. 11, 2014, when the Bulldogs, then No. 3, beat No. 2 Auburn 38-23.
Alabama has handled its business through four games in Kalen DeBoer’s third season, improving to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the SEC. The Crimson Tide had to fight through slow starts against Kentucky and Florida State before finally taking control early against South Carolina last week, jumping ahead 35-3 late in the second quarter on the way to a 49-18 win.
“I thought the improvement in a lot of areas for our football team from Week 3 to Week 4 showed up,” DeBoer said Monday. “I think our physicality shows up, and so just proud of the guys in a lot of those areas. Obviously, there’s always things we got to improve, but I thought it was our most complete game up to this point.”
A big reason for that surge has been first-year starter Keelon Russell, who looks more comfortable by the week. Against South Carolina, he threw four touchdown passes, doubling his season total in one afternoon.
Over his last two games, Russell has accounted for nine total touchdowns - seven passing and two rushing - without a turnover after throwing two interceptions at Kentucky on Sept. 12.
“I think his composure has shown up, and I think that’s directly related to his decision-making,” Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said of Russell. “... I feel like Keelon’s ahead of the curve on some of those things, and he will continue to have to work on things that are going to pop up in hostile environments like what he’ll see on Saturday.”
Russell has been sharp, but Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor has been even more productive heading into this one. Since making his first start last November against rival Ole Miss, Taylor has given the Bulldogs a different gear, and this season he’s piled up 14 touchdown passes, tying Southern California’s Jayden Maiava and Miami’s Darian Mensah for the national lead.
Taylor ranks 10th in the country with 1,192 passing yards and has thrown only two interceptions. Against Missouri, he passed for 360 yards, with 135 of those coming in the fourth quarter as Mississippi State erased a 24-17 deficit with two touchdown drives.
For Lebby, the biggest jump hasn’t just been Taylor’s numbers.
“I think he’s done a much better job of understanding not taking the unnecessary hit,” Lebby said. “Our very first goal for him was to start a minimum of 13 games, and then we’re gonna move from there. But he’s all the way in on taking care of himself and knowing how important it is.”
Taylor has plenty of help around him, too. Mississippi State’s offense is rolling at 533.3 yards per game, which ranks fourth nationally. Fluff Bothwell has run for 402 yards and three touchdowns, while Anthony Evans has 28 catches for 408 yards and three scores.
The Bulldogs will need that full package to have any chance of ending another drought, because Alabama has owned this series. Mississippi State is riding a 16-game losing streak against the Crimson Tide, with its last win in 2007.
In Other News...
Mississippi State Just Got Another GameDay Reminder Fans Will Hate
Mississippi State fans who were hoping for another early-season College GameDay stop in SEC country got a fresh reminder this week that the shows 2026 travel plans are already tilting elsewhere. ESPN announced that Week 5 will be in Iowa City, with host Rece Davis pointing to Iowas win over Michigan as part of what pushed the production toward the Hawkeyes, setting up a top-15 showdown with Ohio State.
The choice matters because the first four GameDay shows of the season were all held at SEC campuses, a run that fit the leagues usual pull on the pregame spotlight. Now the road show is heading to Big Ten territory, and for Mississippi State fans watching from the outside, its another example of how quickly the national stage can move on when a different conference starts producing the bigger scene. [Read more 🡒]
Keelon Russell Is The Alabama Problem Mississippi State Can't Ignore
Jeff Lebby knows exactly what makes Alabama difficult to defend right now, and it starts with a sophomore quarterback who has settled in quickly as a first-year SEC starter. Mississippi States defensive staff is spending its preparation time on the kinds of problems Alabama has been creating all season, from a passing game that has been efficient to a rushing attack that has kept opponents from simply sitting on the throw.
For the Bulldogs, the challenge is less about one isolated matchup than about surviving the whole structure of Alabamas offense. Lebby pointed to the need to get pressure on Keelon Russell and tackle more cleanly if Mississippi State wants any chance of slowing down a group of receivers that can stretch a defense in a hurry. It is the kind of week where the margin for error is thin, and the Bulldogs know the Crimson Tide will punish anything sloppy. [Read more 🡒]
Kamario Taylor Brings Real Heisman Buzz Into Mississippi State's Alabama Test
Mississippi State heads into its Alabama matchup with something more than momentum to monitor after ESPNs Bill Connelly put Kamario Taylor sixth on his Week 4 Heisman winners list. Taylor has shown up on the list every week this season, a sign that his early work has carried real national weight even as the Bulldogs prepare for one of their toughest tests of the year.
The SEC made a strong showing in the top 10, with four league players included, led by Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons and Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell near the top. For Mississippi State, Taylors place on that list adds another layer to a game already packed with intrigue, since the Bulldogs are about to see Russell and Alabama on the same field this weekend. [Read more 🡒]