October third. The day that Mississippi State has had circled since the Southeastern Conference announced the 2026 schedule. It was the day longtime rival Alabama would return to Davis Wade Stadium for the first time since Coach Nick Saban roamed the sidelines in 2023. As the season progressed, Saturday’s matchup between the Crimson Tide and

#16 Mississippi State drops its first game of the year as #7 Alabama leaves Starkville with a 56-23 victory