For the first time in school history, Mississippi State University’s football team is ranked No. 3 in the nation, so there is no surprise it is the new trending topic on campus. The huge wins over LSU and Texas A&M have students pumped and ready to cheer on the Bulldogs through the remainder of the season.
Greg Riley, senior kinesiology major, said this weekend was pandemonium, and he cannot wait for what the rest of the season has in store.
“I expected us to win, but I was surprised it was a blowout. Right now I feel like MSU is the best football team in the country, not just because we beat Texas A&M and LSU, but because we dominated them,” Riley said. “My expectations are for us to make it to Atlanta, win the SEC Championship and claim our rightful place in the college football playoffs.”
This landmark in MSU football history makes believers out of students all over campus. Students that aren’t really interested in sports are being drawn to the Gridiron, getting entrenched in the hype and joining in with their support.
Aloryn Davis, senior industrial engineering major, said her initial reaction was pure excitement, and she couldn’t be more proud to see MSU take its place amongst the top teams in the nation.
“It feels so good to come into the season being the underdogs and earn that No. 3 spot,” Davis said. “These wins have really brought out everyone’s school spirit and united us more as a university, and I love it. I now have very high expectations for our football team, and I believe we can finish this season undefeated.”
The students that have been waiting years to see a season like this one are now overwhelmed with excitement.
Anthony Slater, senior kinesiology major, said it has been a long time coming, but he feels MSU still has much more to prove.
“I am extremely excited to be able to witness what our football program is doing this season,” Slater said. “I expect the Bulldogs to show that they really belong in the No. 3 spot and continue to dominate on the field.”
This football season seemed to be a surprise for many students, but not for all. There are those die-hard fans that never doubted what the Bulldogs were capable of and believed in time, MSU would take its rightful place in football history.
Cory Sanders, senior industrial technology major, said MSU has always had an excellent football program and ranking No. 3 proves it.
“We have always had a good team, but we lacked chemistry,” Sanders said. “Now that our level of play has gone up and there is a certain level of expectation of the team, we are starting to rise to the occasion and get better day by day.”
There seems to be no doubt on campus about the performance of the Bulldogs for the remainder of the season. Students are enthusiastic and feel the team feeds off their support. Students of all disciplines have come together and added fuel to the fire the MSU Bulldogs have set on the gridiron. With the prediction of a historic season for MSU football, fandemonium appears to be on the rise amongst the student body.
