Just Be Us
September 30, 2026 | Football
State keeping an internal focus as outside excitement builds.
STARKVILLE โ Buzz is building in Starkville.
Mississippi State has a 16th-ranked football team that's undefeated a third of the way through the regular season. The Bulldogs boast some of the country's top talent with quarterback Kamario Taylor, running back Fluff Bothwell, receiver Anthony Evans III, cornerback Kelley Jones and so many more.
MSU is solidly in the national spotlight, and the beams are only getting brighter this Saturday when the Dawgs host No. 7 Alabama at 11 a.m. at Davis Wade Stadium.
Given all the attention State has earned and the huge opportunity that presents itself once the Crimson Tide gets to town, there are so many places minds could wander this weekend.
Bulldog head coach Jeff Lebby says the recipe for State success on Saturday is actually simple though.
"I think we're concerned with being as good as we could possibly be on Saturday and just be us," Lebby said. "I'm going to continue to talk about how really good football teams get better every week. So, that's our goal. That's our focus. If we'll do that and take great care of the ball, we'll be right where we need to be."
Just be us.
There's something to be said for a football team that knows 'us' is enough. It means nothing special is required. It means the people and the talent inside the locker room are plenty to get the job done.
Nothing else matters. Not State's history against Alabama.
"It means absolutely zero to me or our guys," Lebby said of the past.
Not even the wins of the past four weeks matter. That's all behind the Bulldogs.
"We understand [this Saturday] is the biggest game of the year because it's the next game of the year," Lebby said. "We'll continue to play and operate and go about our business the right way with that mindset.
"It's going to be an incredible challenge [against Alabama], but again, our guys are excited about that piece of it. That's what this schedule is. That's week in and week out. So, if you don't reset every single Sunday and out-prepare, then you're going to leave without the chance."
The Bulldogs have repeatedly shown this season their memories are indeed short โ week to week and even play to play.
They backed up a record-breaking season opener by dominating at Minneosta, overcame a 16-point hole at South Carolina, then outscored Missouri 14-0 in the fourth quarter for a comeback win over the Tigers last week.
Neither success, nor in-game disappointments, have been able to derail Mississippi State from just being itself. And being itself has absolutely been plenty.
This coming week โ and every week โ Lebby and the Bulldogs are confident that as long as this mindset continues, State has so much more than just a special start to this season in store.
"For us, our guys inside our locker room, we know exactly who we've got [and] we know exactly where we're going," Lebby said. "There's incredible vision. There's been great vision and a great plan, and people love being inside our building every dayโฆAnd then where we're going is special once we're on the field."
You can still be at Davis Wade Stadium for the next step of the Bulldogs' 2026 journey. Tickets for Saturday's game against Alabama are sold out through Mississippi State, however tickets are available through SeatGeek โ the official secondary ticket marketplace of Mississippi State Athletics.
CLICK HERE to purchase.
