STARKVILLE — Mississippi State has added two more opponents for the 2020 football season.
Following the Southeastern Conference’s announcement last week that it would move to a 10-game, conference-only schedule this fall amid COVID-19 concerns, it was announced Friday that MSU will now also face Georgia on the road and host Vanderbilt this year.
“Our program looks forward to welcoming Vanderbilt to Davis Wade Stadium and traveling to Georgia this fall,” head coach Mike Leach said in a news release. “We are excited about our challenging conference-only schedule featuring five games in Davis Wade Stadium. We are extremely proud of our program’s growth during the summer access period as well as the patience and resiliency our student-athletes have displayed across these last several months.
Georgia concluded its 2019 campaign 12-2 with a win over Baylor in the Sugar Bowl, while Vanderbilt was 3-9 with its lone SEC win coming over Missouri. The red and white clad Bulldogs also ranked No. 4 in the Amway/USA Today Coaches Poll that was released Thursday.
MSU’s other eight opponents this season will include its five SEC West compatriots — Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M and Arkansas — in addition to crossover games against Missouri and Kentucky.
“We appreciate the leadership of the SEC throughout the process of revising the 2020 schedule and their direction moving forward on medical protocols,” MSU Athletic Director John Cohen said in a news release. “While we’re hopeful and planning to have a competitive season this fall, we understand there is a challenging road ahead.”
The Bulldogs are entering their first year of competition under Leach, who takes over the program after eight years at Washington State. MSU finished the 2019 season 6-7 with a loss to Louisville in the Music City Bowl.
Dates and times for the 2020 season will be announced at a later date.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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