If you were born in 1944, first, congratulations on making it to your 80s; second, until 2024, you never knew what LSU Football was like without Mississippi State on the schedule. The Bulldogs were LSU's longest-standing rival, playing every year from 1944 through 2024. Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC, which threw a wrench into scheduling and removed this matchup from the docket in 2024 and 2025.
Across 80 years, there is bound to be no shortage of iconic moments. The only reason the streak did not run longer is that Mississippi State did not field a team in 1943 due to World War II. Had the Bulldogs fielded one, the series would have run uninterrupted from 1926 through 2023. Just since the turn of the century (unfortunately, my memory does not go back to 1944), there has been plenty of drama despite LSU holding a 75-36-3 advantage not counting a few vacated wins.
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Starting with the matchup in 2000, LSU came into the game 4-3 on the season with a notable win over No. 11 Tennessee in overtime in Tiger Stadium while Mississippi State was ranked at 14. With the bye week to follow, Nick Saban in his first year as head coach of the Tigers, was not going to let this team quit on the season. Even after being down 31-17 in the fourth quarter, the Tigers would fight. Domanick Davis would punch it in from three yards out to make it 31-24, and less than four minutes later, Josh Reed would catch a 20-yard touchdown pass from Josh Booty to tie it at 31. LSU would take their first lead in the game since the first quarter, when Davis would score from three yards out once again to make it 38-31. With 1:59 left, the Bulldogs would tie it back up at 38 before heading to overtime. LSU started with the ball and would score on a 13-yard run from LaBrandon Toefield as he fought through State defenders at the goal line. Death Valley would come alive as the Bulldogs took over on offense. On fourth and two, State's Wayne Madkin would scramble around the left side to try to pick up a first down and keep their hopes alive. Jeremy Lawrence would track Madkin down and drag him out of bounds short of the line to gain to steal LSU's second overtime victory over a top-15 team of the season.
2014 marked another wild ride of the rivalry. LSU had won the previous 14 straight meetings (the 2012 and 2013 wins were later vacated), the longest streak between the two teams. Both teams came in 3-0 overall, and it was the SEC opener for each. Les Miles' eighth-ranked Tigers hosted Dan Mullen's Bulldogs. Despite Mullen's struggles against ranked teams at State, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 17-0 lead and kept their foot on the gas pedal, leading 34-10 in the fourth quarter. LSU would fight back throughout the fourth, making it 34-29, but the comeback would fall short, ending the streak. Louisiana native Dak Prescott was the star of the show on that day, completing 15 of his 24 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 22 times for 105 yards and another touchdown. Credit to the Bulldog defense as well for holding Leonard Fournette to just 38 yards on seven carries and for sacking Anthony Jennings three times.
LSU, however, has won the last three matchups, with the most recent coming in 2023. With Jayden Daniels completing 30 of his 34 passes for 361 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 64 yards on 15 carries and another pair of scores, LSU would put up 41 points. Malik Nabers was the leading receiver on the day, catching 13 passes for 239 yards and both scores through the air. Defensively, LSU held State to just 14 points. Whit Weeks led the team in tackles with 8, while Harold Perkins Jr., Mekhi Wingo, Major Burns and Sai'vion Jones all recorded one sack each. Will Rogers completed less than 40% of his passes for 103 yards, and the backfield, led by Woody Marks, rushed for just under 100 yards. Jett Johnson led the Bulldogs in tackles with 14 and Jaden Crumedy led pass rushers with one sack. Much has changed for both teams since then, although then-head coach for Mississippi State Zach Arnette has returned as the defensive coordinator.
The two will meet, as mentioned for the first time since 2023, in Baton Rouge's Tiger Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on October 17. The game is set to be televised on ESPN.
