First-And-10 To Know: State vs. No. 12 Alabama

STARKVILLE – After a week away, Mississippi State is back at home, sweet home.
Saturday evening at 8 p.m., MSU is set to square off with No. 12 Alabama under the lights of Davis Wade Stadium. That much you know. However, there are several things you might not.
So, let's have a look at 10 items to be aware of headed into State's showdown against the Crimson Tide:

It's not all that surprising given the two universities are separated by less than 90 miles, but the Mississippi State-Alabama matchup is one of the most-played series in both schools' histories. MSU and Bama met for the first time way back in 1896 and Saturday marks the 108^th all-time meeting between the teams. The only two schools State has faced more than Alabama are Ole Miss and LSU. For Alabama, MSU sits alone at the top as its most-played foe.
It also bears noting that Saturday's game is likely the end of a 76-year streak in which Mississippi State and Alabama have squared off. The additions of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC in 2024 caused the scheduling to be reshuffled, and the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs aren't slated to meet in the regular season next year. It'll be the first time that's happened since 1947.
Eight different cities have hosted Mississippi State-Alabama games through the years. In Alabama, the matchup has been contested in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Montgomery. In the Magnolia State, games have been held in Starkville, Jackson, Meridian, Columbus and Aberdeen.
For the second straight year, MSU versus Alabama will pit brother against brother. Veteran State safety Shawn Preston, Jr.'s brother, Shazz, is a member of the Crimson Tide team. Shazz is a redshirt freshman wide receiver. The two shared a lighthearted moment together on the field following a play last year in Tuscaloosa. Time will tell if the Preston brothers might once again get the chance to be on the gridiron at the same time.
A couple of Bulldogs head into Saturday's game looking to build off of what were spectacular showings last week at South Carolina. Lideatrick Griffin enters action against Alabama fresh off of setting a new Mississippi State record for receiving yardage in a single game. Griffin had 256 receiving yards against the Gamecocks a Saturday ago, easily surpassing the 220 yards Jameon Lewis tallied for State back in the 2013 Liberty Bowl. Griffin also became the first SEC player this season to go over the 250-yard mark in a game.
Griffin's production was of course aided by the play of quarterback Will Rogers, who had himself quite the showing in South Carolina as well. Rogers threw for a career-best 487 yards against the Gamecocks. The total stands as the most passing yards by an SEC quarterback in any game this season.
Rogers' big day last week also put him inside the top five on a couple of SEC career leaderboards. Rogers has now thrown for 11,668 yards in his Bulldog career and now stands at third place in league history. He trails only Aaron Murray (13,166 yards) and Drew Lock (12,193 yards). Also, Rogers now sits tied for fifth in conference history for career touchdown passes with 88. Peyton Manning sits in fourth place with 89, so Rogers has the opportunity to keep moving up the list if he can throw for a score against the Crimson Tide.
Rogers is likely to move into another SEC career top-five list against Alabama. He needs just 73 more yards to enter fifth place in league history for total yardage.
Despite just 27 yards on the ground last week, State running back Jo'quavious Marks is still right near the top of the SEC this season in rushing yardage. Marks currently stands second in the conference with his 352 yards. Only Missouri running back Cody Schrader has more. Schrader has 403 yards. Marks is tied for third in the league in rushing touchdowns with four.
Finally, for Mississippi State to have its best chance at a Saturday win, the Bulldogs will likely need another strong defensive showing from a guy that's made them commonplace. Linebacker Jett Johnson heads into play against Alabama as the SEC's leading tackler. He now has 45 this season and averages an SEC-best 11.3 tackles per game. Johnson has now had back-to-back 14-tackle games and three straight games with 10 or more takedowns. He now has 10 career games with double-digit tackles.

Mississippi State University Athletics

First-And-10 To Know: State vs. No. 12 Alabama

Players Mentioned

Lideatrick Griffin

Jett Johnson

Will Rogers

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