One of the biggest storylines through the first quarter of the college football season has been the emergence of Mississippi State. Spearheaded by sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor, the Bulldogs are 4-0 and have a massive SEC collision against the 4-0 Alabama Crimson Tide on the slate in Week 5.
No. 16 Mississippi State has No. 7 Alabama coming to town, and this will show the country whether they are contenders or pretenders. The battle between Taylor and Keelon Russell will be must-watch TV.
While this is a big test for Mississippi State, history hasn't been kind to the Bulldogs in this rivalry against Alabama.
Alabama vs. Mississippi State rivalry history and head-to-head record
- Alabama vs. Mississippi State head-to-head record: Alabama owns an 88-17-3 edge over Mississippi State.
- Last time Mississippi State beat Alabama: 2007, Mississippi State beat Alabama 17-12 in Starkville.
- Rivalry record in Starkville: Alabama leads 22-4
As the records indicate, things haven't been in the Bulldogs' favor. It's been 19 years since they last defeated Alabama, which came in the first year of Nick Saban's tenure with the Crimson Tide. Since then, they've had their number, but this Bulldogs team has a chance to flip the script.
Taylor has been playing lights out through four games. He's gone 83-of-120 (69.2 percent) for 1,192 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, two interceptions, and an 87.0 QBR. His passing touchdowns are tied for first in the nation, and his QBR is ranked ninth.
In the last two weeks, Taylor has led the Bulldogs to impressive wins over South Carolina and then No. 19-ranked Missouri. In the contest against South Carolina, Mississippi State rallied from a 16-point deficit to win 41-34. After throwing an interception on his first pass, Taylor settled down, tossing for 251 yards and four touchdowns.
He kept his foot on the gas, throwing for 360 yards and three scores, including a 24-yard touchdown to Sanfrisco Magee with 3:57 left in the fourth quarter, giving the Bulldogs a 31-24 lead.
The connection between Taylor and head coach Jeff Lebby's playcalling has been exciting. They have answered every test that has come their way thus far, yet this battle against the Crimson Tide will be the toughest one to date.
How they come out and compete against one of the toughest teams in the SEC will show if this program has really transformed for the better. Considering that Alabama has had Mississippi State's number throughout history, if the Bulldogs can come out with a win, it'll only boost their stock in the college football landscape.
Mississippi State has a chance of putting its imprint on the SEC and showing it can be a real College Football Playoff contender. Of course, it won't be easy, but the Bulldogs have displayed they are changing the narrative around the program.
Davis Wade Stadium will be rocking for this tilt, and Alabama knows they can't take this game lightly. If they do, they risk getting torched by a Mississippi State team that enters this game with their momentum sky-high.
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