Good Riddance, Starkville: Saying Sayonara to Mississippi State
Wednesday night Kentucky football fans patiently waited to see which opponents would appear on the 2024 schedule. For the first time in a long time, Mississippi State is not on the slate. What a glorious moment for the Big Blue Nation.
The Wildcats and the Bulldogs have been cross-divisional foes, facing off annually since 1990. Despite each program’s shared up-and-down success over the years and a knack for playing close games, the game never felt like a rivalry. Neither fanbase really cared about the other, with a few exceptions.
One Last Shot for a Victory over Mississippi State in Starkville
Starkville has been a house of horrors for the University of Kentucky. Visitors leave the two-bit town with the din of clanging cowbells following them all the way back to the Commonwealth. Davis Wade Stadium has hosted nail-biters between the teams over the years — like the ’99 thriller that was decided by a field goal in the final five seconds, and the failed onside kick during Stoops’ opening season — yet the Wildcats are seemingly always on the wrong end of the scoreboard.
Kentucky has not won in Starkville since 2008. Mark Stoops has knocked down seemingly every door during his tenure, except one, defeating an SEC West opponent on the road. The Wildcats have split the last eight games in the series, losing by an average of 23.3 points per game in each road contest.
Traveling to Mississippi State is a nightmare. It’s far away from everything. Once you arrive, there’s not much else but a noisy stadium that shrieks to the sound of cowbells. Kentucky will make one final trip to this hellhole Nov. 4 before the 16-team SEC shakes up the schedule and ends the annual rivalry. The all-time series is tied 25-25. The time to exorcise this noisy demon is now.
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