Mississippi State football reveals 2023 schedule
Mississippi State Athletics (press release)- A total of eight home games, including a stretch of five of the first six games hosted in Starkville, highlight the 2023 Mississippi State football schedule, which was officially unveiled by the SEC on Tuesday (Sept. 20).
Mississippi State’s non-conference slate includes home matchups against Southeastern Louisiana (Sept. 2), Arizona (Sept. 9), Western Michigan (Oct. 7) and Southern Miss (Nov. 18).
State’s SEC home schedule features visits by LSU (Sept. 16), Alabama (Sept. 30), Kentucky (Nov. 4) and Ole Miss (Nov. 23), while the Bulldogs’ 2023 road trips include South Carolina (Sept. 23), Arkansas (Oct. 21), Auburn (Oct. 28) and Texas A&M (Nov. 11).
The Bulldogs will open the 2023 season with three straight home games at Davis Wade Stadium, beginning with the season-opener against Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 2. It will mark the second meeting between the two teams with the last matchup coming in 2008 when State defeated the Lions, 34-10, in Starkville.
On Sept. 9, Arizona will make a return trip to Starkville after the Bulldogs traveled to Tucson a few weeks back and came home with a 39-17 road victory over the Wildcats in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
The Dawgs will remain at home for the third straight week when Mississippi State opens Southeastern Conference play against LSU on Sept. 16 at Davis Wade Stadium.
State’s first road test will come on Sept. 23 when the Bulldogs make the trip to Columbia, S.C., to take on South Carolina for the first time since 2016. In the last meeting, Mississippi State defeated the Gamecocks by a score of 27-14 in Starkville. Next year’s matchup will mark State’s first trip to Columbia since the 2013 campaign.
The following two weeks see the Bulldogs return home to Davis Wade Stadium. State will host Alabama in league play on Sept. 30 before turning around to welcome Western Michigan to Starkville in non-conference action on Oct. 7.
Following a bye on Oct. 14, Mississippi State is set for a pair of road SEC matchups, beginning with an Oct. 21 contest against Arkansas in Fayetteville. The Dawgs will enter that game having won three of the last four road games over the Razorbacks dating back to 2015.
The next week, the Bulldogs will continue its road slate and travel to face off against Auburn on Oct. 28. The two teams have split the last four meetings in Auburn, Alabama, including last season’s 43-34 State victory over the Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
On Nov. 4, Mississippi State returns home to host Kentucky in what will kick off a stretch of three of the last four games set at Davis Wade Stadium. State leads the all-time series over the Wildcats, 25-24, including a 15-6 record in Starkville.
The Bulldogs will make its final road trip the second week of November when State travels to take on Texas A&M in College Station on Nov. 11. In 2021, the Dawgs traveled to Kyle Field and brought a 26-22 victory over the Aggies home to Starkville.
On Nov. 18, Mississippi State will welcome in-state foe Southern Miss to Starkville for the 31st meeting all-time between the two programs. The Dawgs have won the last five meetings over the Golden Eagles, including three straight victories at Davis Wade Stadium. The last meeting came on Sept. 7, 2019, when State defeated USM, 38-15, in Starkville.
The 2023 regular season concludes with the annual Battle for the Golden Egg. Mississippi State will host in-state rival Ole Miss in Starkville on Thanksgiving (Nov. 23).
