Halloween is just around the corner, and while you could watch horror movies or go to a haunted house, here is something a little bit different to get you into the spirit: the scariest moments in Mississippi State University football. Now the history of Bulldog football is long and deep, and some may even say dark, but here are some of the scariest moments that will keep you up at night.
2008: Mississippi State v. Auburn
In Sylvester Croom’s last season as the Bulldogs head coach, MSU hosted No. 9 Auburn at home. This resulted in a game so terrifying, it haunted the dreams of Mississippi State fans, contesting with the fear of a nightmare attack from the infamous Freddy Krueger. The only scoring that came from that night was an Auburn field goal in the second quarter and a Bulldog safety in the fourth. 431 total yards of offense, four combined turnovers and a combined 3-30 on third down — a Bulldogs fan’s nightmare.
2001: Mississippi State v. Troy
Nothing is scarier than getting blown out at home, but that is exactly what happened when the Bulldogs hosted Troy in October of 2001. The Bulldogs did not just lose, they were slaughtered — much like the half-naked teenagers of Camp Crystal Lake. After a scoreless first quarter, the Bulldogs allowed touchdowns on back-to-back-to-back drives in the second quarter, ending in a 21-9 loss to the Trojans. The Bulldogs would go on to finish with a 3-8 season record. On the bright side, the Bulldogs did manage to beat Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl later that season.
1949 and 1968: Mississippi State football season
The Bulldogs have had some rough seasons in the past, but they are the unfortunate victims of going winless not once but twice in 1949 and in 1968. Both of those squads went 0-8 for the season. The Bulldogs failed to score more than seven points in their 1949 season, and they tied against Ole Miss, led by Archie Manning, in 1968. If you were around to witness those two seasons, you deserve a lot more than a measly pail of candy.
2023: Mississippi State v. LSU
In what could be the last time for a while that the Bulldogs match up with the LSU Tigers after conference realignment next year, LSU came into Starkville and carved the Bulldogs like a Jack-O-Lantern in a 41-14 game — slashing. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels set the best completion percentage ever for an LSU quarterback (88.2%). Meanwhile, Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers put up his worst performance as a starting quarterback, going 11-for-28 with 103 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. This certainly was not the way to end a long-standing conference matchup.
2007: The University of Alabama hired Nick Saban as head coach
Despite the contradicting whispers, the Alabama Crimson Tide named former Dolphins and LSU coach Nick Saban as the head football coach of the University of Alabama. Even with a mediocre debut season, in which the Bulldogs beat the No. 22 Crimson Tide 17-12 under Croom, it has been nothing but a horror movie since. The Bulldogs have not beaten Alabama since the 2007 season, and the Crimson Tide stands 16-1 against the Bulldogs under Nick Saban.
Hopefully these horrifying moments do not keep you up at night. Hail State, and Happy Halloween!