The Tigers prepare to play their final road game of the season
Missouri football sits at 7-3 with two games remaining in the 2024 regular season. The team picked up its third loss at the hands of the No. 18 South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Tigers will look for redemption against Mississippi State. Here’s what to expect for the matchup in Starkville, Mississippi.
The Tigers and Bulldogs have not squared off since 2020 when the Tigers fell 51-32. Missouri has not defeated the Bulldogs since 1984, losing both matchups since joining the SEC.
40 years later, the Tigers are poised to break their losing streak.
Mississippi State appears to be more bark than bite, sitting at 2-8 on the season and 0-6 in the Southeastern Conference. Nonetheless, Missouri is not letting its guard down.
“Mississippi State has had an extremely challenging schedule,” head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said in a press conference. “I could argue it’s one of the toughest in the SEC this year and so I don’t think their record accurately reflects which style of football team that they are. They’re improving every week.”
Mississippi State’s two wins have come against Eastern Kentucky and the University of Massachusetts.
Eastern Kentucky is part of the United Athletic Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision, where it is currently ranked third.
The Bulldogs also defeated UMass, a team Missouri faced in Week 7. Where Missouri topped the Minutemen 45-3, the Bulldogs won 45-20. Mississippi State had a tougher time with UMass, but ultimately snagged a double-digit win.
Though UMass has struggled throughout the season, it marked a season-high 45 points for the Bulldogs against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent. Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. led his team, throwing for 222 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for two more scores.
Van Buren did not play for the Bulldogs at the beginning of the season, taking over the starting role when quarterback Blake Shapen suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4.
Van Buren has faced challenges in his six starts, holding a record of 1-5. The game against the Minutemen was encouraging for the freshman, as his completion percentage of 56% was his second-best so far.
“I think their freshman quarterback is a really good player,” Drinkwitz said. “He just gets better and better each week.”
Mississippi State is also highlighted by two other offensive weapons: wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. and running back Davon Booth.
Coleman leads the team in receiving yards with 756 and in touchdowns with five. He has recorded 100-plus yards in three separate games, including against SEC opponents Georgia and Arkansas.
Booth is another impressive player who leads the team in rushing yards with 597. The senior averages 4.8 yards per carry to go alongside his four touchdowns.
Missouri will need to shut down these players if the team hopes to pull off a win. The Tigers’ defense has performed well recently, coming up with four fumbles in its Week 11 matchup against Oklahoma. Van Buren has thrown five interceptions in four games so it’s a real possibility that the Tiger defense could have a field day against the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State last took the field on Nov. 9 when they faced the Tenessee Volunteers on the road. Mississippi State struggled in this game, falling 33-14. Although Tennessee was ranked No. 7 at the time, the Bulldogs faced the Volunteers without starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava for the second half.
In this game, Mississippi State failed to get much going offensively. Van Buren completed just ten of his 26 passes for less than 100 yards. Coleman was limited to low yardage, racking up 68 yards on five receptions.
The team also struggled on third down conversions, going 3-13 on attempts. Missouri’s defense should aim to capitalize on this and shut down Mississippi State’s drives.
Following the Tennessee loss, Mississippi State took its second bye week of the season. This means Missouri will be sparring with a rested team that has had more time to practice. Nevertheless, a win for the Tigers can be very attainable.
The Tigers will try to overcome Mississippi State before heading back to Columbia for the final game of the regular season against Arkansas. The teams will face off at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, in Starkville, Mississippi.
Edited by Dylan Heinrich | dheinrich@themaneater.com
Copyedited by Emma Harper and Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com
Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com