Both Mississippi State and Ole Miss are in town Saturday against top-10 foes.
Here’s a primer on each game, plus our staff predictions for both contests.
No. 1 Georgia (9-0, 6-0 SEC) at Mississippi State (6-3, 3-3 SEC)
Where: Davis Wade Stadium (60,133), Starkville.
TV: 6 p.m., Saturday, ESPN.
Series: Georgia leads, 19-6.
Coaches — Georgia: Kirby Smart, 75-15 at Georgia (7th year), 75-15 overall (7th year).
Mississippi State: Mike Leach, 17-16 at Mississippi State (3rd year), 156-106 overall (21st year).
Notes: Mississippi State is 5-0 this season at Davis Wade Stadium, but Georgia has won nine straight road games. … MSU is facing the AP No. 1 team for the 12th time in school history. Eight of those meetings were with Alabama, two with Tennessee and one with LSU. … Mississippi State has extended its bowl streak to 13 games, which only Alabama and Georgia have done among SEC teams. … Mississippi State’s kickoff return unit is second in the nation with 28.9 yards per return … Georgia leads the nation in red zone scoring percentage, converting 50 of 51 opportunities inside the 20 with 35 touchdowns and 15 field goals.
Prediction: Georgia 41, MSU 17.
— Theo DeRosa
No. 10 Alabama (7-2, 4-2 SEC) at No. 11 Ole Miss (8-1, 4-1 SEC)
Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (64,038), Oxford.
TV: 2:30 p.m., Saturday, CBS.
Series: Alabama leads 56-10-2.
Coaches – Alabama: Nick Saban, 190-27 at Alabama (16th year), 281-69-1 overall (27th year); Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin, 23-9 at Ole Miss (3rd year), 84-43 overall (11th year).
Notes: Alabama has won six straight games in the series with Ole Miss and has outscored the Rebels 340-153 over that span … True freshman running back Quinshon Judkins leads the SEC with 13 touchdown runs. Fourteen is the Rebels’ single-season record … The Rebels have the third-fastest offensive pace in the country, running a play every 20.7 seconds … Crimson Tide defensive end Will Anderson Jr.’s 31.5 sacks are second in Alabama history behind Derrick Thomas. Anderson also has 58 tackles for loss (third-most in program history).
Prediction: Alabama 45, Ole Miss 31
— Michael Katz, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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