Mississippi State is heading into the home stretch of the 2024 regular season. At 2-8, 0-6 in the SEC, the Bulldogs lost any chance of seeing action in the postseason. They have two games left with No. 23 Missouri on Saturday and No. 9 Ole Miss, the day after Thanksgiving, otherwise known as Black Friday. Despite the direction their season has gone or the statistics against another win this year, the Dawgs’ players always believe they can win. If not, why even play the game? Can belief overcome the odds and make Mizzou the Bulldogs’ first SEC win? For the Bulldogs, belief comes with the territory.
It’s hard to put a pin in the Bulldogs these days. After a disastrous loss to Toledo, then their first SEC loss against Florida, all was lost. Then, they looked like a team improving, destined to lose, but competing well against the best teams in college football. They held their own against Texas, then ranked at No. 1, and then they held Georgia to a 10-point difference, scoring 31 points on the No. 2 Dawgs from GA. Fans seemed resigned to losing, but satisfied with progress, especially against ranked teams.
However, after a respectable showing against Texas A&M, Arkansas embarrassed the Bulldogs 58-25. There were many missed opportunities against No. 7 Tennessee, their most recent game, and another disappointing loss. The Dawgs are coming off their last bye week of the season, before heading into the last two games.
Put Me in Coach
Cowbells will be ringing in Davis Wade-Stadium on Saturday. The Bulldogs take on Missouri in the final home game of the season. It’s also Senior Day, which ranks up there as an important game for the guys playing their last one at home.
In his Monday presser head coach Jeff Lebby said this should be a big day. “I’m looking for us on Saturday to play the best we’ve played all year,” Lebby said. “That is the expectation. That’s what we need to go get accomplished. And for us it is about, again, as simple as it is, having the best Monday we’ve had all year. We had a really good practice this morning. We need to have another great practice tomorrow, but it is about being the best we’ve been individually and collectively on Saturday to give us a chance to go win.”
The Bulldogs are on a 10-game losing streak in the SEC, that goes back to last season. A win here would set the stage for the Bulldogs’ future. A lot will depend on a fast start and improved play from freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren. His merry band of receivers and backs, Mario Craver,Kevin Coleman, Johnnie Daniels, and Davon Booth will need to bring their A-game too.
“Be able to pitch and catch, play with great anticipation at the quarterback position. Then, defensively, we’ve got to get them into some third and longs to be able to go get off the field.”
Mizzou at a Glance
The Bulldogs and Tigers don’t have that much history. This will only be the fifth time they’ve met and the series is tied 2-2. The two Bulldogs wins came after Missouri joined the SEC. Mizzou comes into this game a 6.5-point favorite, a surmountable spread, as long as the Dawgs are up to it.
Mizzou has suffered from injuries lately, mainly on the offensive side. Their star quarterback, Brady Cook, came back just last week in their loss to South Carolina 34-30. He went 21 for 31 (68%), 237. Yards, a touchdown, and one interception.
The only meaningful injury is wide receiver Mookie Cooper. He has missed the last three games and is listed as out on the SEC Availability Report. There are no new Bulldogs listed as out, just the ones from last week.
A sore point for the Bulldogs has been on the defense getting opponents off the field on third down. Lebby is well aware of this issue, especially where Missouri is concerned. “Both sides of the football, they’ve been dominant on third down,” Lebby said. “Situationally, they’ve been really, really good. So that’ll be huge for us on Saturday. We have to be able to stay on the field on third down, offensively.” Missouri is 24th in the nation in third-down conversions at 45.6%.`
This is an important game for the Tigers as well. They are currently 7-3 overall, 3-3 in the conference. A loss would probably mean moving out of the national rankings and diminishing their bowl profile. The Tigers’ losses came at the hands of SEC teams, Texas A&M, Alabama, and South Carolina.
A Look to the Future, Again!
There is nothing more for fans to do than to prepare for next season. Recruiting deals directly with the future and is something that always suffers when a team has a losing season like State. This year, the dreaded transfer portal poses the threat of existing players scrambling for a better program. There is a sense of loss with the transfer portal, but it is a way of life these days, and coaches are hoping for the best, preparing for the worst. But there is hope for the other visitors coming Saturday.
Besides Senior Day, State will be entertaining hundreds of new recruits at the Missouri game. This will be the last chance for Lebby, coaches, and players to make their appeals to these young Bulldog-wannabes. Traditional Signing Day has been moved up three weeks to December 4th – 6th. So, this weekend, a win on the field could solve a lot of issues for everyone concerned.
There are three solid avenues for coaches to search for new talent. That would be high schools, junior colleges, and the transfer portal. Lebby thinks they have everything well in hand. “For us, I feel good about where our high school recruiting and where our junior college recruiting is,” Lebby said. “Got a chance to finish out on a couple of these guys here late, which will be huge. This weekend will be a huge weekend for us with some guys in town. I’m excited about this class we got going.”
Patience is a Virtue
The Bulldog fans will have to be patient one more year for a difference in the win/loss column and a good feeling when the cowbell rings. What they can hope for this year is a positive weekend against Missouri and a good showing for those new recruits. After that, it’s preparing for a trip to Oxford and another chance to redeem the team against Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl, Black Friday.
Lebby and his players are still faithful in going up against Mizzou. Lebby says they can win, and they’ll do it their way. “We choose how we finish,” Lebby said. “It’s a choice that we’re making every single day, and so for us to go play our best on Saturday, it’s the choices that we’re making all throughout the week that give us the chance to go do that. That has been the goal. That’s been the focus.”
