GAMEDAY: State Returns Home For Senior Day

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State returns home for the first time in more than a month when the Bulldogs host Auburn on Saturday. The game will be televised at 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network, with Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst) and sideline reporter Cole Cubelic on the call. Fans can also listen for free on HailState.com/plus or on the TuneIn app.

Mississippi State has several new protocols in place for the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit www.HailState.com/COVID for all COVID-related guidelines & protocols for the 2020 MSU football season.

Premium gates open at 3:30 p.m. with all remaining gates opening at 4:15 p.m. Fans should check their tickets for their assigned entry gate. Mobile tickets should be downloaded prior to arriving at the stadium. For complete game day information, visit HailState.com/Gameday.

State's Storylines vs. Auburn

Mississippi State and Auburn meet for the 94th time in program history on Saturday. The Tigers hold a 64-26-2 lead in the all-time series. The two teams have evenly split the last eight matchups with both claiming four victories. State has won three of the last four in Starkville.

Mike Leach has met Auburn once in his career to open the 2013 season. That was also Gus Malzahn's first season on The Plains. Leach's Washington State team lost that matchup, 31-24, in Auburn.

Mississippi State is set to play the second-latest non-bowl game in its history when the Bulldogs host Auburn. Entering 2020, the latest non-bowl game played in December was a 16-0 loss at Memphis Athletic Club on Dec. 7, 1895. In the modern era, the latest December game came on Dec. 6, 1941 in a 26-13 victory at San Francisco.

The Bulldog offense has already broken 15 different passing and receiving records this season and is on pace to break six more before the season ends.

21 Bulldogs have made their first career start this year, tied for third-most in the Power Five and tied for 10th in the FBS. 44 percent of snaps have been taken up by first-time starters, and on average, MSU has 4.9 first-time starters on the field for every play.

Will Rogers led all NCAA quarterbacks in completions during the month of November (121) and was the only quarterback in the NCAA with 1,000 passing yards and zero interceptions last month.

MSU's true freshmen have combined for 119 catches, the most by any true freshman group in the NCAA (LSU, 80; Texas Tech, 80; Pittsburgh, 67; Oklahoma, 56).

RB Jo'quavious Marks has broken MSU's single-season records for receptions by both freshmen and running backs and needs just eight more catches (58) to crack the single-season top 10.

WR Jaden Walley currently leads MSU with 462 receiving yards and would be first freshman to lead State in receiving yardage since Chad Bumphis (375) in 2009. He needs 49 receiving yards to break Mardye McDole's freshman record of 510 yards set in 1977 and would be just the second MSU freshman with a 500-yard season.

WR Austin Williams boasts the fourth-highest hands grade in the FBS according to PFF (90.3). Of his 54 career receptions, 50.0 percent have led to a touchdown or first down.

LB Aaron Brule leads the Bulldogs with 30 total pressures this year per PFF, which is fourth in the SEC and second among all FBS linebackers. He is also tied for the team lead with 3.5 sacks for a team-leading loss of 19 yards.

DB Martin Emerson ranks seventh among Power Five cornerbacks and second in the SEC at the position in coverage grade (83.6) per PFF (min. 200 coverage snaps), and is one of eight Power Five cornerbacks with zero touchdowns allowed in coverage.

MSU is one of two SEC programs along with Kentucky that can boast multiple active players with 20.0 or more career tackles for loss (DE Marquiss Spencer, 22.5; DE Kobe Jones, 20.5; LB Erroll Thompson, 20.5).

For more information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU football on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB."

GAMEDAY: State Returns Home For Senior Day

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aaron Brule

Martin Emerson

Kobe Jones

Jo'Quavious Marks

Will Rogers

Marquiss Spencer

Erroll Thompson

Jaden Walley

Austin Williams

Mississippi State University Athletics

GAMEDAY: State Returns Home For Senior Day

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aaron Brule

Martin Emerson

Kobe Jones

Jo'Quavious Marks

Will Rogers

Marquiss Spencer

Erroll Thompson

Jaden Walley

Austin Williams

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