STARKVILLE — Chris Jans is new to the rivalry between Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
But he hasn’t had to inquire much into its significance.
The first-year MSU coach knows only three words matter when it comes to the Bulldogs and the Rebels: “Beat Ole Miss.”
“Other than that, I haven’t asked a lot of questions,” Jans said Thursday.
It’s as simple as that as Jans leads Mississippi State (11-3, 0-2 Southeastern Conference) into Saturday’s game against Ole Miss (8-6, 0-2 SEC) at Humphrey Coliseum.
Tipoff is at 1 p.m. on CBS in a game whose loser will fall to 0-3 in conference play, an undesirable spot so early on.
“We’re both in a situation where we’re starving for a win, so I’d imagine the intensity of the game will be as high as it can get,” Jans said.
Mississippi State is coming off an 87-53 loss Tuesday at No. 8 Tennessee after opening SEC play with a loss to No. 7 Alabama on Dec. 28 at home.
That means the Bulldogs have already played the conference’s two best teams, but so has Ole Miss. The Rebels have played and lost to those same Volunteers and Crimson Tide, most recently an 84-62 defeat Tuesday at Alabama.
But they’re still capable of anything, having beaten the Bulldogs 82-72 in Oxford nearly a year to the day of Saturday’s game.
Jans said his team has watched plenty of film on Ole Miss and knows what coach Kermit Davis’ team can do.
“They play a lot of guys,” Jans said. “They’re shuffling guys in and out. They’re very athletic. They really get after you, and they are very scout specific. They are going to know you inside and out. They are going to take away your crutches or at least attempt to take away your crutches. They are going to fight you for every loose ball and every rebound. They’re going to play extremely, extremely hard.”
“That’s going to be par for the course, I think, in almost every game that we play this year. But I would imagine when these two programs get together — and again, it’s my first foray into that — it will be even more intensified.”
Jans acknowledged he’s dealt with plenty of rivalry games — although not this one — in the course of 31 years spent coaching.
The Magnolia State clash has been remarkably even of late, with the Bulldogs and Rebels alternating wins in the past 10 games between the two. Over the past six games, the total point differential? Exactly zero.
That’s just one reason why Jans already knows how important Saturday’s game is.
“Certainly, ‘business as usual’ is what you’d like to say, but we all know how important this game is for each fan base, for the state of Mississippi in general,” he said. “You want to win those games. You want people to feel excited and feel good about beating their rival. Obviously, your opponent’s feeling the same way.”
Jans admitted he has more to learn about the rivalry matchup, specifically its historical significance.
But he knows enough to be sure that the only thing that matters is a win.
“I’m knee deep in it and excited to be a part of it,” Jans said. “I can’t wait to experience it.”
Ole Miss (8-6, 0-2 SEC) at Mississippi State (11-3, 0-2 SEC)
Where: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville.
TV: 1 p.m., Saturday, CBS.
Radio: 100.9 FM.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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