The 2023 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs were led by Zach Arnett, who was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach in December 2022 following the death of Mike Leach, until his firing on November 13, 2023.
The Mississippi State football team played its home games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi. This was also the final year for the West division as Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC in 2024. The Mississippi State Bulldogs football team drew an average home attendance of 54,455 in 2023.
Schedule Mississippi State and the SEC announced the 2023 football schedule on September 20, 2022. The 2023 Bulldogs' schedule consists of 8 home games and 4 away games for the regular season. Mississippi State will host four SEC conference opponents Alabama (rivalry), Kentucky, LSU (rivalry) and Ole Miss (Egg Bowl) at home and will travel to four SEC opponents, Arkansas, Auburn, South Carolina and Texas A&M to close out the SEC regular season on the road. Mississippi State is not scheduled to play SEC East opponents Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee and Vanderbilt in the 2023 regular season. The Bulldogs' bye week comes during week 7 (on October 14, 2023).
Mississippi State out of conference opponents represent the MAC, Pac-12, SLC and the Sun Belt conferences. The Bulldogs will host all four non–conference games which are against Arizona from the Pac-12, Southeastern Louisiana from the SLC (FCS), Southern Miss from the Sunbelt and Western Michigan from the MAC.
Game summaries vs No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana
Statistics SELAMSST First downs 10 23 Total yards 54–208 68–525 Rushing yards 26–83 39–298 Passing yards 125 227 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 16–28–0 20–29–0 Time of possession 28:58 31:02 Team Category Player StatisticsSoutheastern Louisiana Passing Eli Sawyer 11/19, 85 yards Rushing Harlan Dixon 8 carries, 51 yards Receiving Harlan Dixon 4 receptions, 42 yards Mississippi State Passing Will Rogers 20/29, 227 yards, 2 TD Rushing Jo'Quavious Marks 19 carries, 127 yards, 2 TD Receiving Creed Whittemore 4 receptions, 59 yards, TD
vs Arizona
Statistics ARIZMSST First downs 23 16 Total yards 72–431 56–307 Rushing yards 25–91 38–145 Passing yards 340 162 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 33–47–4 13–17–0 Time of possession 32:22 27:38 Team Category Player StatisticsArizona Passing Jayden de Laura 32/46, 342 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT Rushing Jayden de Laura 8 carries, 44 yards, TD Receiving Tetairoa McMillan 8 receptions, 161 yards, TDMississippi State Passing Will Rogers 13/17, 162 yards, 3 TD Rushing Jo'Quavious Marks 24 carries, 123 yards, TD Receiving Lideatrick Griffin 5 receptions, 83 yards, 2 TD
vs No. 14 LSU
Statistics LSUMSST First downs 26 10 Total yards 76–530 50–201 Rushing yards 39–163 21–94 Passing yards 367 107 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 31–37–0 12–29–0 Time of possession 38:39 21:21 Team Category Player StatisticsLSU Passing Jayden Daniels 30/34, 361 yards, 2 TD Rushing Jayden Daniels 15 carries, 64 yards, 2 TD Receiving Malik Nabers 13 receptions, 239 yards, 2 TD Mississippi State Passing Will Rogers 11/28, 103 yards Rushing Jo'Quavious Marks 8 carries, 75 yards Receiving Zavion Thomas 3 receptions, 52 yards
at South Carolina
Statistics MSSTSC First downs 20 19 Total yards 71–519 67–432 Rushing yards 23–32 47–144 Passing yards 487 288 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 30–48–1 18–20–0 Time of possession 28:18 31:42 Team Category Player StatisticsMississippi State Passing Will Rogers 30/48, 487 yards, TD, INT Rushing Jo'Quavious Marks 12 carries, 27 yards, TD Receiving Lideatrick Griffin 7 receptions, 256 yards, TD South Carolina Passing Spencer Rattler 18/20, 288 yards, 3 TD Rushing Mario Anderson 26 carries, 88 yards, TD Receiving Xavier Legette 5 receptions, 189 yards, 2 TD
vs No. 12 Alabama (rivalry)
Statistics ALAMSST First downs 17 15 Total yards 56–357 62–261 Rushing yards 43–193 35–154 Passing yards 164 107 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 10–13–0 15–27–3 Time of possession 30:10 29:50 Team Category Player StatisticsAlabama Passing Jalen Milroe 10/12, 164 yards Rushing Jalen Milroe 11 carries, 69 yards, 2 TD Receiving Amari Niblack 3 receptions, 61 yardsMississippi State Passing Will Rogers 15/27, 107 yards, TD, 3 INT Rushing Jo'Quavious Marks 9 carries, 68 yards Receiving Jeffery Pittman 2 receptions, 23 yards, TD
vs Western Michigan
Statistics WMUMSST First downs 21 25 Total yards 77–413 65–440 Rushing yards 32–116 33–194 Passing yards 297 246 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 33–45–1 23–32–0 Time of possession 28:46 31:14 Team Category Player StatisticsWestern Michigan Passing Hayden Wolff 27/35, 262 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Zahir Abdus-Salaam 18 carries, 60 yards, TD Receiving Kenneth Womack 12 receptions, 113 yardsMississippi State Passing Will Rogers 16/22, 189 yards, 3 TD Rushing Seth Davis 10 carries, 65 yards, TD Receiving Freddie Roberson 5 receptions, 68 yards, TD
at Arkansas
Statistics MSSTARK First downs 10 12 Total yards 205 200 Rushing yards 120 103 Passing yards 85 97 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 8–12–1 19–31–1 Time of possession 28:35 31:25 Team Category Player StatisticsMississippi State Passing Mike Wright 8/12, 85 yards, TD, INT Rushing Mike Wright 11 carries, 60 yards Receiving Justin Robinson 2 receptions, 40 yardsArkansas Passing KJ Jefferson 19/31, 97 yards, INT Rushing Rashod Dubinion 14 carries, 47 yards Receiving Andrew Armstrong 4 receptions, 35 yards
at Auburn
Statistics MSSTAUB First downs 19 21 Total yards 345 416 Rushing yards 184 186 Passing yards 161 230 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 16–32–1 20–26–0 Time of possession 30:44 29:16 Team Category Player StatisticsMississippi State Passing Mike Wright 16/32, 161 yards, TD, INT Rushing Mike Wright 14 carries, 63 yards Receiving Zavion Thomas 9 receptions, 112 yards, TDAuburn Passing Payton Thorne 20/26, 230 yards, 3 TD Rushing Jarquez Hunter 17 carries, 144 yards Receiving Rivaldo Fairweather 4 receptions, 31 yards
vs Kentucky
Statistics UKMSST First downs 13 15 Total yards 54–271 66–218 Rushing yards 29–110 31–73 Passing yards 161 145 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 15–25–0 17–35–1 Time of possession 30:38 29:22 Team Category Player StatisticsKentucky Passing Devin Leary 13/22, 156 yards, 2 TD Rushing Ray Davis 21 carries, 80 yards Receiving Tayvion Robinson 5 receptions, 91 yardsMississippi State Passing Mike Wright 11/21, 78 yards, INT Rushing Seth Davis 4 carries, 24 yards Receiving Zavion Thomas 6 receptions, 44 yards
at Texas A&M
Statistics MSSTTXAM First downs 12 24 Total yards 237 396 Rushing yards 133 246 Passing yards 104 150 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 10–21–3 11–21–0 Time of possession 29:24 30:36 Team Category Player StatisticsMississippi State Passing Mike Wright 5/9, 68 yards Rushing Seth Davis 12 rushes, 79 yards Receiving Zavion Thomas 4 receptions, 39 yardsTexas A&M Passing Jaylen Henderson 11/19, 150 yards, 2 TD Rushing Jaylen Henderson 12 rushes, 60 yards, 2 TD Receiving Ainias Smith 4 receptions, 64 yards, TD
vs Southern Miss
Statistics USMMSST First downs 10 18 Total yards 246 382 Rushing yards 105 238 Passing yards 141 144 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 11–21–1 12–27–0 Time of possession 31:42 28:18 Team Category Player StatisticsSouthern Miss Passing Billy Wiles 9/16, 89 yards, TD, INT Rushing Frank Gore Jr. 22 carries, 66 yards Receiving Jakarius Caston 2 receptions, 88 yards, TDMississippi State Passing Will Rogers 12/27, 144 yards, 2 TD Rushing Jeffery Pittman 10 carries, 98 yards, TD Receiving Zavion Thomas 3 receptions, 66 yards
vs No. 12 Ole Miss
Statistics MISSMSST First downs 22 16 Total yards 307 303 Rushing yards 211 96 Passing yards 96 207 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 14–26–0 25–39–0 Time of possession 31:57 28:03 Team Category Player StatisticsOle Miss Passing Jaxson Dart 14/26, 96 yards, 1 TD Rushing Quinshon Judkins 28 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD Receiving Caden Prieskorn 4 receptions, 38 yards, 1 TDMississippi State Passing Will Rogers 25/39, 207 yards Rushing Jo'Quavious Marks 12 carries, 39 yards Receiving Zavion Thomas 6 receptions, 88 yards
References