The Dust Bowl drought of the ‘30s lasted eight years.
The Texas and Southern Plains drought of the ‘50s went on for seven years.
That’s nothing compared to the Mississippi State vs. Alabama drought, which has existed for almost two decades.
Not since a 17-12 victory in 2007 has Mississippi State defeated Alabama.
Sure, there were times during that 19-year drought that the Bulldogs’ thirst for victory over the Tide was almost quenched.
Mississippi State lost 25-20 in 2014. The Bulldogs fell 31-24 in 2017. Other than that, they were blown out. Indeed, the average margin of defeat since Mississippi State last won over Alabama is 25.1 points.
But take heart, Bulldogs. Rain clouds could be forming over Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday morning.
Mississippi State is unbeaten and leads the SEC in total offense. Quarterback Kamario Taylor is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. Running back Fluff Bothwell is second in the SEC in rushing. Receiver Anthony Evans is among the conference’s leading receivers.
The Bulldogs defense has allowed just one rushing touchdown and is limiting opponents to just 3.3 yards per carry. That’s after playing three Power Four opponents.
So, with all that going for them, a 19-year drought won’t faze the Bulldogs when they face Alabama on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT.
At least, coach Jeff Lebby said it won’t.
“It means absolutely zero to me or our guys,” Lebby said earlier this week. “We’re concerned with being as good as we can possibly be on Saturday. Just be us.
“Really good football teams get better every week. That’s our goal. That’s our focus. If we do that and take great care of the ball, we’ll be right where we need to be.”
They probably need to be in the end zone. Often. As good as the Bulldogs’ defense has been against the run, they’re ninth in the SEC in scoring defense. They allowed South Carolina 34 points. Missouri scored 24.
Neither of those teams are as explosive as Alabama, which is averaging 48 points with new quarterback Keelon Russell.
Russell has passed for eight touchdowns and rushed for three more.
The Bulldogs play to contain him with what seems to be blitzing linebackers and clanging cowbells.
“We’re going to have to move him off the spot,” Lebby said. “We’re going to have to do a great job tackling. That’s going to be a huge piece of it. He’s played really, really well. He’s been incredibly productive. There’s been explosive plays. He’s got great talent around him.
“For us, it’s going to be about applying pressure (and) getting our fans really involved and excited about what’s going on between those white lines.”
Eventually, all droughts end. The Dust Bowl did. Maybe Mississippi State's Alabama drought will, too.
By the way, there is a 40 percent chance of rain in Starkville on Saturday.
Around the SEC
Mike Huguenin contributed to this section.
This week’s games: Arkansas at Texas A&M; No. 7 Alabama at No. 16 Mississippi State; Vanderbilt at No. 2 Georgia; No. 8 Florida at No. 25 Missouri; Auburn at No. 17 Tennessee; Kentucky at South Carolina; McNeese at No. 11 LSU
Who’s hot: Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor is an exceptional talent. He’s tied for third nationally at 344.3 total yards per game and has accounted for 15 touchdowns, while facing three “Power Four” opponents. He’s completing 69.9 percent of his passes and is averaging 9.9 yards per pass attempt. He gets his toughest test yet Saturday when Alabama comes to town.
Who’s not: Hey, Texas A&M. You think your secondary has problems? Take a look at South Carolina’s. The Gamecocks have already allowed 10 touchdown passes, tied for fifth-most nationally and tied for the most by a “Power Four” team. They allowed 13 total last season and 10 in 2024. They’re also allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 64.9 percent of their attempts, the second-worst mark in the SEC after Ole Miss’ 65.4 percent. Most alarming, South Carolina has allowed 623 yards and nine touchdown passes in two SEC games, though it was against Alabama and Mississippi State. South Carolina next faces Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey. The Aggies know what he’s capable of.
Keep an eye on: Alabama’s rushing attack was atrocious last season. The Tide averaged 104.1 rushing yards per game and an embarrassing 3.6 yards per carry. This season, quarterback Keelon Russell has added a dangerous running element. The offensive line seems to actually enjoy hitting people. 230-pound running back Daniel Hill is pounding on defenders, and true freshmen EJ Crowell and Trae’Shawn Brown have combined for 300 yards and six touchdowns. Alabama must hope its running game travels Saturday when it plays Mississippi State. While Russell is playing at a high level, it’s doubtful the Tide coaching staff feels comfortable putting everything on his arm.
The pressure is on: You don’t like to kick a guy when he’s down, but South Carolina coach Shane Beamer makes it easy. At the end of last season, when his Gamecocks finished 4-8, including 1-7 in the SEC, Beamer said: “I can one billion percent promise you this: We will have a hell of a season in 2026. … We’re going to look back at this season and say, ‘It sucked going through it, but because of what we went through in ’25, it led us to what we just went through in ’26.’” He even promised the Gamecocks would be in the College Football Playoffs. Well, the Gamecocks are not having a hell of a season. They are 0-2 in SEC play, which means they’ve lost eight conference games in a row. They’re in danger of having a third losing record in the last four seasons. If they fall to Kentucky, Beamer — in year six — will have lost to Mississippi State (with a coach who was on the hot seat coming into the season) and Kentucky (with a new coach who, seven years ago, was the offensive coordinator at Austin’s Lake Travis High). His team is in disarray (i.e., the Dylan Stewart suspension), with a quarterback who looks almost unplayable and a secondary that is a sieve. Beamer would be owed $28 million if he’s fired before Dec. 31 and $22 million if he is let go after that.
Best matchup: Florida offensive line vs. Missouri defensive line. The Gators’ offensive rebirth has been astounding. It shows the importance of a competent offensive coordinator, and Buster Faulkner is far more than competent. Florida has rushed for 545 yards and 10 touchdowns in SEC wins over Auburn and Ole Miss. In addition, the line has allowed just two sacks. Two of the starting linemen are holdovers from the Billy Napier regime, and they — LT Bryce Lovett and LG Knijeah Harris — have been particularly solid. They face Missouri, who was ranked 13th nationally in rush defense last season, and that has carried over. The Tigers are allowing just 100.3 yards per game and have surrendered two rushing TDs. But Mississippi State did have success on the ground last week. If Missouri can’t slow Gators running back Jadan Baugh, the Tigers are in big trouble.
