STARKVILLE, Miss. — Georgia and Mississippi State have a mascot and Southeastern Conference membership in common — and not much else when it comes to football.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1 SEC) have had four consecutive 10-win seasons while reaching double digits for victories in seven of the past eight seasons. He has brought home two national championships and three Southeastern Conference titles during his tenure as head coach at his alma mater, with that highly successful run now in its 10th season.
Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby’s Mississippi Bulldogs (5-4, 1-4) have won one conference game in his two seasons at the helm, and they have spent that time dwelling near the bottom of the standings.
The good news for Mississippi State fans is their team has lately shown considerable signs of progress, something Smart was quick to note as fifth-ranked Georgia prepared to visit Starkville for a midday kickoff Saturday.
“Number one, it shows hard work pays off,” Smart said. “They’ve continued to work hard. They’ve stayed true to themselves. … They’ve been in every game. They’ve had several games they should’ve won, could’ve won, but didn’t.