Alabama vs Mississippi State Game Preview: Everything You Need To Know Before Kickoff
Another ranked opponent comes to Tuscaloosa on Saturday afternoon hoping to take down the nation's top team.
Alabama and Mississippi State square off this weekend with little at stake besides the Crimson Tide's playoff goals. The Crimson Tide locked up the SEC West title with a win over LSU a week ago and will look to fend off an improving Bulldogs team.
Only three regular season games remain in the all-important month of November.
Here's everything you need to know about this weekend's game.
No. 1 Alabama (9-0, 6-0 SEC) vs No. 18 Mississippi State (6-3, 2-3 SEC)
When: Saturday, November 10 at 2:30 p.m.
Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL
Weather: Plenty of sunshine is expected on Saturday but temperatures will be cool. The high will barely reach into the 50s and could be in the low 40s by the fourth quarter. Bring a jacket.
TV: CBS (Play-by-play: Brad Nessler, analyst: Gary Danielson, sideline reporter: Jamie Erdhal)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-by-play: Eli Gold, color analyst: John Parker Wilson, sideline reporter: Rashad Johnson). Listen on 95.3 the Bear and Tide 102.9/100.9 in Tuscaloosa or download the station apps to stream the game for free.
Spread: The Crimson Tide opened as a 24-point favorite and it's inched down to 23.5. Alabama is 6-3 against the spread, including three straight wins. Mississippi State, meanwhile, has also won 6 of 9 against the spread this year.
Series History: You might be surprised to hear that this is the longest running series for The University of Alabama. The Tide and Bulldogs will meet for the 103rd time on Saturday and leads the all-time series 82-17-3. These two schools first played in Tuscaloosa in 1896 and the first four games ended with a shutout. Nick Saban's record is 15-1 against State while Joe Moorhead will be facing Alabama for the first time.
Last Meeting: Mississippi State nearly pulled off the upset one year ago in Starkville. Leading 17-14 heading into the fourth quarter, Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts led two touchdown drives to lead the Tide back to victory. DeVonta Smith's 26-yard touchdown reception with 25 seconds left gave Alabama the 31-24 win. The Bulldogs put together more first downs and had the ball 17 minutes longer than Alabama.
Last Week: The Crimson Tide faced its toughest opponent of the season when it traveled to Baton Rouge to take on No. 3 LSU. The Tigers defense performed admirably, but Tua Tagovailoa and the Tide proved to be too much to stop. Alabama rolled up nearly 600 yards of total offense while limiting LSU to just 196 for the game. It's was the Crimson Tide's first shutout of the year, 29-0, and might have been the most complete effort by Alabama in 2018.
Mississippi State played host to Louisiana Tech in its final non-conference game of the season and it was quarterback Nick Fitzgerald's best performance of the season. The senior threw for 273 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 107 yards in the 45-3 thrashing of La Tech. It was State's second-straight win and another strong offensive outing.