Oklahoma (3-3, 1-2 SEC) at Mississippi State (4-2, 2-2 SEC). Saturday, Oct. 24, 2:30 p.m. CT / 3:30 p.m. ET, Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Miss., SEC Network. It's the first meeting ever between these programs.
Your hosts are Wade Pettus, a poultry-science grad who charts Air Raid concepts on feed-store receipts and trusts his cowbell on third down, and Savannah Redbird-Lowe, a former Oklahoma rodeo princess who reads defenses like barrel patterns.
Savannah: Boomer! (You say Sooner.) Wade, sugar, I hear that cowbell is smart.
Wade: Welcome to Starkville. I'll ring once for you. Politely. (ding.)
Players to watch
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor has 1,450 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. Wide receiver Anthony Evans III has 47 catches for 614 yards and five touchdowns. Running back Da'Marion "Fluff" Bothwell has 403 yards. Linebacker Tyler Lockhart leads with 38 tackles. The Bulldogs average 454.3 yards per game, 22nd in FBS.
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer has 1,308 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. Wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III has 414 receiving yards. Linebacker Owen Heinecke leads with 44 tackles, and Jake Kreul has three sacks. The defense allows 260.7 yards per game, fifth in FBS, and opponents convert only 25.6% of third downs, second-best in the country.
Savannah: Fifth in yards allowed, darling. That's a clean barrel pattern.
What happened last week
LSU beat Mississippi State 31-0. The Bulldogs started a backup quarterback who went 16 of 26 for 121 yards in his first career start, a tough assignment against that LSU front.
Kentucky beat Oklahoma 21-13 in Norman. Mateer threw for 270 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Manny Choice caught five passes for 98 yards.
Wade: Shutout. My cowbell is processing it quietly.
Injuries and availability
The SEC had not posted an availability report for this game as of Oct. 18. Taylor missed the LSU game with a foot injury, and Bothwell was also unavailable. Neither has an official status for Saturday, so watch the SEC report.
What the coaches are up to
Jeff Lebby was hired at Mississippi State on Nov. 26, 2023. He was Oklahoma's offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023, and his first two seasons in Starkville went 7-18. He brought back Zach Arnett as defensive coordinator. Two SEC wins already this year is the most of his tenure in league play.
Brent Venables has led Oklahoma since 2022. His team is minus-8 in turnover margin, and he knows the SEC doesn't hand out second chances.
Savannah: Minus-eight, Wade. I'm not proud of it. We're cleaning the saddle this week.
Player storylines
Mississippi State's passing game, 22nd in FBS, meets Oklahoma's pass defense, sixth. Something has to give. On the other side, Mateer has room: the Bulldogs allow 264.8 passing yards per game, 127th. And the Lebby story writes itself. He knows Oklahoma's building, and Oklahoma knows his playbook's family tree.
Savannah: Turn tight, protect the ball, no tipped barrels.
What's happening on campus
It's a Black Out at Davis Wade. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. This season's stadium upgrades include an expanded LED light show, more pyrotechnics, cryo effects in the student section and laser effects for select SEC games. The Famous Maroon Band, performing since 1902, will be there.
Anything else fun and true
Mississippi State's 2026 wins include a 41-34 victory at South Carolina and a 31-24 win over Missouri. Oklahoma's wins include a 27-24 victory over Texas at the Cotton Bowl. The Missouri game was the Bulldogs' attempt at a new cowbell world record.
Wade: World-record cowbells, ma'am. Bring earplugs. And if Lebby's offense gets rolling, bring two pairs.
Savannah: Boomer! I'll bring a Schooner.
The Cover Window
My call: Oklahoma Sooners 25, Mississippi State Bulldogs 24.