Mississippi State Football 247

The Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represents Mississippi State University in the sport of American football. The Bulldogs compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Prior to 2014, Mississippi State was a member of the Southern Conference, an athletic conference that competed in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) until 2006; as such, the Bulldogs play in the second-highest level of NCAA collegiate football competition, following only behind its SEC Western Division counterpart, Auburn University.

About the MSU football program

Mississippi State University’s football program is a college football team that represents Mississippi State University. The Bulldogs play in NCAA Division I-A, and in one of the two toughest conferences in college football, the Southeastern Conference (SEC). 

Mississippi State has won more SEC Championships than any other school, with 13 total to its name. They have also played in more bowl games than any other school, having played in 41 bowls in their history.

 Mississippi State’s most notable bowl wins include 3 Orange Bowls, 3 Cotton Bowls, and 2 Sugar Bowls. In total, they have won more bowl games than any other program in college football history.

Key Players in 2019

Mississippi State’s season got off to a tough start with a 24-3 loss at Kansas State, but that game wasn’t entirely reflective of how good the Bulldogs will be in 2019. Mississippi State has some high-end talent returning and is poised for a strong bounceback season. Key returners for head coach Joe Moorhead include quarterback Nick Fitzgerald and running back Kylin Hill.

 Fitzgerald is a dual-threat talent who threw for 2,398 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions while adding 1,000 rushing yards and 15 scores on the ground in 2018. He has thrown for 5,981 yards and 35 scores in two seasons as a starter. 

Hill ranked second on last year’s squad with 987 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while also making 21 catches for 145 yards. Their return will be big for Mississippi State’s offense.

Recruiting Updates

The Bulldogs remain atop Rivals’ recruiting class rankings and it doesn’t look like they’ll be relinquishing their throne any time soon. Even though they have yet to win a game in 2013, MSU is in hot pursuit of some elite prospects who will help solidify Dan Mullen’s team as a perennial power in not only the SEC but also in college football.

 Not only is MSU in a great position to finish strong on national signing day, but they’re also poised to start next season with a bang. The Bulldogs have already secured 23 players who will join them in 2014, and could be adding a few more before things are said and done. 

Mississippi State has 16 players committed on offense and seven on defense, including two of their top commits, Jeffery Simmons and Chris Jones.

How MSU will fare in 2019

The Bulldogs are in a good position to repeat as division champions. They have a lot of talent coming back, including quarterback Nick Fitzgerald and running backs Kylin Hill and Elijah Holyfield. With another year of experience under their belts, Mississippi State should be able to replicate its successes from 2018. The only significant difference is that Penn State transfer Sean Clifford will take over at quarterback instead of Fitzgerald.

 With so much talent coming back on both sides of the ball, Mississippi State should be in for another stellar year. The only question is whether Sean Clifford will be able to fill Nick Fitzgerald’s shoes. How well he plays could go a long way towards determining whether or not Mississippi State has another big season.

 With a favorable schedule, Mississippi State should be able to win another Southeastern Conference West title. The Bulldogs have some quality teams on their schedule—they play LSU, Texas A&M, and Auburn all on the road—but they also get Arkansas and Ole Miss at home.

Summing it all up

Mississippi State football’s 2018 recruiting class took a huge hit on Friday, as five-star defensive end Owen Condon flipped to Ohio State. Condon, who was committed to Mississippi State since May, named Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes as his new leader on Twitter. Florida entered late and put up a fight, but it wasn’t enough. To make matters worse for MSU fans, Condon’s commitment is also a blow to his former high school teammate Kobe Jones.

 Kobe Jones is committed to Mississippi State, but his teammate Owen Condon flipped to Ohio State on Friday. Jones has long been thought of as a likely flip candidate if Condon were to leave Starkville. He will reportedly announce his decision on Dec. 16 at 1:00 p.m. CT on Twitter and in-person at Hebron High School in Carrollton, Miss.

 Condon is rated as a five-star prospect and No. 5 overall recruit in his class. He's also ranked as one of ESPN's Top 100 recruits ever. As a junior, he had six sacks and 43 tackles with 11 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles to help Hebron finish state runner-up.

Summary

The Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represents Mississippi State University in NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) college football. The school's teams are known as simply Bulldogs, and they compete in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).