STARKVILLE — Mississippi State is heading north for New Year’s.
The Music City Bowl announced Sunday afternoon that MSU (6-6, 3-5 SEC) will take on Louisville in the annual game at 3 p.m. on Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tennessee.
“The Music City Bowl is the perfect destination for our Bulldog fans and team,” MSU athletic director John Cohen said in a news release. “Nashville has a strong Mississippi State alumni contingent and is a great city to enjoy. I am thrilled for our football program on earning a bowl berth every season this decade. We look forward to seeing a large amount of Maroon and White in Nashville and sending out our senior class with a positive experience.”
Riding a 10-year bowl streak, MSU enters the contest having won three of its final four games — including a 21-20 win over in-state rival Ole Miss on Thanksgiving night.
The Cardinals enter the contest at 7-5 in Scott Satterfield’s first season at the helm. Louisville closed its campaign with a 45-13 loss to Kentucky.
This year also marks the first time Louisville and MSU have met since the 2017 TaxSlayer bowl in Jacksonville, Florida — a 31-27 Bulldog win.
MSU has not played in the Music City Bowl since defeating Wake Forest in 2011.
“This is a great opportunity for our football program against a very quality and well-coached Louisville team,” coach Joe Moorhead said in a news release. “I am very excited for our team to accept this bid to the Music City Bowl. We are fired up about the practices ahead. We have built a lot of momentum over the past month, and we Fwant to ensure our senior class goes out the right way. We can’t wait to see our Bulldog fans in Nashville to close the year.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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