Meeting the Opponent: Week 4 – South Carolina Gamecocks

STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI – SEPTEMBER 16: Will Rogers #2 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs walks onto the field before the game against the LSU Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium on September 16, 2023 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Mississippi State football vs. South Carolina: Gamecock fan expectations

Evan Ertel: Taking a moment to appreciate the terrible SEC scheduling model that will be replaced next year, this will mark just the fifth time that these two schools, who are in the same conference, will have played each other in the last 20 years.

USC holds a 4-1 advantage over that time as well. What are Gamecock fans feeling headed into this weekend?

Kevin Miller: Gamecock fans don’t appear to be as concerned about Mississippi State as they probably should be.

The two teams are pretty similar from a talent standpoint, and MSU has the added bonus of beating a Power-5 opponent this season. It is the SEC home opener, so the sold-out crowd will be raucous.

This game is extremely important, bordering on must-win territory, if Shane Beamer’s group is going to continue moving up the SEC hierarchy. Realist Gamecock fans recognize that this is not a foregone conclusion and that an effort similar to the UNC game will result in a loss and potentially derail the season.