Mississippi State football will complete its season Monday morning in Tampa, Florida.
Here’s how to watch the Bulldogs take on Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl, plus a staff prediction.
ReliaQuest Bowl: Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4 SEC) vs. Illinois (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten)
Where: Raymond James Stadium (65,890), Tampa, Fla.
TV: 11 a.m., Monday, ESPN2.
Series: Tied, 1-1.
Coaches — Mississippi State: Zach Arnett, 0-0 at Mississippi State (1st year), 0-0 overall (1st year); Illinois: Bret Bielema, 13-11 at Illinois (2nd year), 110-69 overall (14th year).
Notes: Mississippi State running back Dillon Johnson and leading wide receiver Rara Thomas are no longer with the team, having entered the transfer portal in December. … Illinois running back Chase Brown and defensive backs Sydney Brown and Devon Witherspoon have opted out to prepare for the NFL draft … Mississippi State is making its 26th bowl appearance, including a program-record 13 straight … MSU’s last appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl — then the Outback Bowl — was after the 2018 season. The Bulldogs lost 27-22 to Iowa. … Mississippi State and Illinois last met in 1980.
Prediction: Mississippi State 27, Illinois 20.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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