STARKVILLE — Ryan Brown didn’t hesitate.
Asked about the importance of the No. 12 Mississippi State football team’s showdown against No. 6 Texas A&M at 11 a.m. Saturday (ESPN), the MSU defensive end smiled and shook his head.
“It’s the biggest game of my life,” said Brown, a sophomore defensive end from New Orleans. “This is why I came here. This is why I signed with Mississippi State, to get to games like this.”
Brown wasn’t alone. One by one, as MSU’s players met with media this week, each Bulldog stressed the importance of the first meeting between top-15 teams at Davis Wade Stadium since 1986.
“It’s huge,” said MSU quarterback Dak Prescott, who has 15 touchdowns this season. “Two undefeated teams, at home … It’s a big deal. It’s also just another game in the SEC West. All of our SEC games are big, and this one is no different.”
Prescott and Brown weren’t born yet when No. 14 MSU played host to No. 8 Auburn in 1986, a game the Bulldogs lost. Dan Mullen, who is in his sixth year as coach in Starkville, was in junior high school. The last time the Bulldogs beat a top-10 opponent while also being ranked in the top 15? That was in 1941, 31 years before Mullen was born.
“We’re excited to get this week going,” Mullen said. “A lot of exciting things happening around campus. I know with a big matchup, I think, two of top teams in the (SEC) West, and, according to rankings, two of the top teams in the country facing off this week. We’re pretty excited about it.”
The SEC Network will present its weekly lead-in show, SEC Nation, live from MSU’s Junction on Saturday, which adds to the excitement in Starkville. MSU, which is two weeks removed from a 34-29 victory against then-No. 8 LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will look to start 5-0 for the second time in six seasons under Mullen. To do that, the Bulldogs will have to take down a high-scoring Aggies team that will try to move to 6-0. The showdown is just part of a Magnolia State doubleheader that has captured the nation’s attention. At 2:30 p.m., No. 3 Alabama and No. 11 Ole Miss will battle in Oxford, giving the state two top-15 clashes in the span of three-and-a-half hours. It’s a fact not lost on Mullen.
“It’s good for the state, good for the SEC to have games of this magnitude,” Mullen said. “It’s a great opportunity for our student body and our fans to show how much they support our team and for the whole country to see that on national television. That’s a really neat experience and neat deal. Everyone around the country gets to see what Starkville, Mississippi is all about.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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