From Midnight Yell to Davis Wade Stadium, Mississippi State University football made it clear there was only room for one maroon in the Southeastern Conference – and it resides in Starkville. 
The Bulldog faithful gathered at MSU’s intramural field Friday night to drown out the noises of Aggie fans participating in their Midnight Yell, a tradition at Texas A&M University that allows fans to get their head in the game with a series of “insults” and trash talk directed at their opponent of the week. This time they were met with an influx of cowbells that could not be ignored – prepping the Aggies for what was to come Saturday. 
As Saturday rolled around, Bulldog fans and athletes were more than ready to take their first SEC win of the season. The atmosphere in Davis Wade was nothing short of exhilarating – and it never wavered. All four quarters were met with drive and electricity both on and off the field. 
The first quarter only resulted in penalties, four to be exact, for MSU and one for Texas A&M, but even through some less-exciting play, spirits stayed high. 
Halfway through the second quarter, the Bulldogs waddled away with an early lead after a five-yard touchdown by wide receiver Caleb Ducking and a solid kick by Ben Raybon. They doubled their score just before halftime and returned to the locker room motivated and ready to get back at it. 
Heading into the half, Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach commented on the importance of a play and the score going into halftime.
“I thought that was huge,” Leach said. “I mean, scores just before half always have a bigger impact than they really should; they really do … It’s funny, ’cause those things can have an impact either direction, so always be aware of both positive and negative to scores right before half.” 
The motivation from the team and the overwhelming, electric support from the fans flowed into the second half as the Bulldogs’ defense continued to apply intense pressure to Aggies quarterback Max Johnson – causing him to rush his passes, resulting in four sacks. The Aggies could only manage a 24-yard field goal and one touchdown in the third quarter. 
With a 21-10 lead and 15 minutes left in the game, fans were feeling rather optimistic, and the players thrived off of that environment. 
When asked about what kind of effect fan involvement has on the team, running back Dillon Johnson said that MSU feeds off of the Bulldog fan base.
“Everybody’s attributes go up,” Johnson said. “We feed off the fans, we feed off the energy from the crowd. It makes us play harder, play faster. Big shoutout to the fans for coming out and supporting us.” 
The Bulldogs come out on top with a final score of 42-24 as the showdown against the University of Arkansas Razorbacks loom Saturday. The game between the Bulldogs and Razorbacks is scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. at Davis Wade Stadium. The same support and energy from the fans noted by Johnson will be broadcasted live as SEC Nation travels to Starkville for the Dawgs versus Hogs showdown.