No. 7 Alabama travels to face No. 16 Mississippi State in a pivotal SEC matchup on Saturday in Starkville. The Crimson Tide moved to 4-0 with a devastatingly dominant 49-18 win against South Carolina. Sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell was flawless with 365 yards passing and four touchdowns.
Mississippi State is in the midst of one of the great starts in program history, reaching consecutive 4-0 starts for the first time since World War II. The Bulldogs came from behind to stun No. 19 Missouri 31-24 behind 360 yards and three touchdowns from superstar quarterback Kamario Taylor. Alabama has dominated the matchup between these two teams all-time, holding an 86-18-3 advantage, including a 40-17 win in 2023.
However, the last MSU win came in Nick Saban's first season -- can the Bulldogs turn the Tide? Super Kamario: Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor has been the story of the early college football season. The Macon, Mississippi, native dreamed of playing in Starkville, and leads the SEC with 344.3 yards of offense per game.
Taylor has thrown for at least three touchdowns in every start, including in road trips to Minnesota and South Carolina. With him in the lineup, suddenly anything seems possible at Mississippi State. Russell's rise: Taylor might be the best quarterback in the nation; he also might not be the best quarterback in this game.
Since throwing a pair of interceptions in his first SEC start against Kentucky, Russell has been astonishing, throwing for 685 yards and seven touchdowns on 77% completion in wins over Florida State and South Carolina. Behind Russell's explosion, Alabama leads the nation in points per game against Power Four competition at 48.0 points per game. Best on worst: With so much attention on the quarterbacks, the secondaries will take center stage.
Mississippi State has the worst passing defense in the SEC statistically, but the Bulldogs rank ahead of the Tide in both yards per attempt and passer rating allowed. Mississippi State has recorded nine sacks in four games, but getting a consistent pass rush could change the game. Date: Saturday, October 3 | Time: 12 p.m.
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