STARKVILLE — Mississippi State announced its 2021 football schedule Wednesday.
Less than a month after the Bulldogs put a cap on their first season under head coach Mike Leach with a win over No. 24 Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl, MSU is now looking toward a full 12-game slate next fall.
The Bulldogs will open the season on Sept. 4 against Louisiana Tech, followed by nonconference games at home against North Carolina State and at Memphis. MSU begins Southeastern Conference play on Sept. 25 in Starkville against LSU and will play at Vanderbilt on Oct. 23 in its rotating SEC East crossover game.
Leach’s squad will have a bye week on Oct. 9 and play its final nonconference game on Nov. 20 against Tennessee State at Davis Wade Stadium. MSU closes its campaign against in-state rival Ole Miss on Nov. 27, marking the second season in a row the Egg Bowl has been played on a Saturday rather than Thanksgiving Day.
MSU’s full schedule is as follows:
Sept. 4: Louisiana Tech
Sept. 11: N.C. State
Sept. 18: at Memphis
Sept. 25: LSU
Oct. 2: at Texas A&M
Oct. 9: open date
Oct. 16: Alabama
Oct. 23: at Vanderbilt
Oct. 30: Kentucky
Nov. 6: at Arkansas
Nov. 13: at Auburn
Nov. 20: Tennessee State
Nov. 27: Ole Miss
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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