For the first time ever, the Oklahoma Sooners and Mississippi State Bulldogs will meet on a football field.
The Sooners travel to Starkville to take on the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses in Week 7, with OU dropping to 3-3 and Mississippi State sitting at 4-2. Both squads are also awaiting injury news that could decide the result on the field in Week 8.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of the Sooners' first trip to Mississippi State:
How to watch Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State
When: 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday
Where: Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi
Watch: SEC Network (watch using fuboTV free trial)
OU radio: 107.7 FM KRXO in Oklahoma City and 97.5 FM KMOD in Tulsa or stream anywhere on Varsity Network App
Announcers for Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State
OU fans will have to listen to the same broadcast crew for the second straight week, with Dave Neal (play-by-play), Cole Cubelic (analyst), and Tori Petry (sideline reporter) on the call in Starkville. This is a solid crew to get stuck with, though.
Odds for Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State
Spread: Oklahoma -4.5
Moneyline: Oklahoma -200, Mississippi State +164
Total: 44.5
Odds are courtesy of FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Weather forecast in Starkville, Mississippi
It will be a sunny day in Starkville, with a high temperature of 78 degrees. There will also be a breeze, with wind at about seven miles per hour, which should not affect the game at all.
All-time series between Oklahoma and Mississippi State
This will be the first meeting ever between the Sooners and Bulldogs on a football field. In fact, these two schools haven't collided much at all in any sport. The sport with the most matchups is baseball, with Mississippi State holding a 6–4–1 all-time advantage.
Injury report snapshot
Oklahoma injury report
LB Taylor Heim: out
WR Trell Harris: out
TE Trynae Washington: out
CB Jacobe Johnson: out
OL Eddy Pierre-Louis: out
OL Ryan Fodje: out
WR Parker Livingstone: questionable
RB Tory Blaylock: questionable
WR Elijah Thomas: questionable
CB Eli Bowen: questionable
OL Michael Fasusi: questionable
OL Heath Ozaeta: questionable
Kentucky injury report
LB Jalen Smith: out
WR Ayden Williams: out
DL Trevion Williams: out
DL Diesel Moye: out
QB Kamario Taylor: questionable
S Isaac Smith: questionable
LB Zakari Tillman: questionable
RB Fluff Bothwell: questionable
OL DJ Chester: questionable
*as of Wednesday's availability report
Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State key storylines
1. Kamario Taylor's health decides the outcome
The outcome of this matchup could not hinge on the status of one player any more than it does.
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor was listed as questionable with turf toe on the initial availability report. He has been a Heisman Trophy contender and the reason behind why the Bulldogs were able to climb as high as No. 16 in national rankings.
Without Taylor last week, though, the Bulldogs were shut out in a 31-0 loss to LSU. That made it obvious that Mississippi State is a completely different team without its star quarterback.
The Sooners will struggle to score points no matter what, but if Taylor doesn't play, it won't take much at all to outscore the Bulldogs, who will go up against a much better defense than they just faced in LSU. If Taylor is out there, though, it doesn't matter how solid OU's defense is, the offense will still struggle to keep up.
2. Will John Mateer have a short leash?
OU head coach Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle have consistently backed John Mateer as the Sooners' QB1, but eventually, enough has to be enough.
Mateer has been turnover-prone all season and is coming off a game in which he threw back-to-back crucial interceptions, including a pick-six, in the final two possessions to ultimately lose the Sooners the game against Kentucky. He's responsible for nine of OU's 14 turnovers this season, and his always seem to come at the worst time.
If Kamario Taylor is out, the only way the Sooners can lose this game is if Mateer turns the ball over, which almost feels inevitable at this point. OU is desperate for a win, so if Mateer is sabotaging that early, could we finally see the Sooners throw Whitt Newbauer or Bowe Bentley out there?
3. OU offensive line decimated by injury
This could be a weekly storyline for the Sooners.
Wednesday's initial availability report already ruled out offensive linemen Ryan Fodje and Eddy Pierre-Louis. Michael Fasusi and Heath Ozaeta were also listed as questionable. If healthy, all four of those guys could start along the offensive line.
That will leave the Sooners shuffling up front again, and that's exactly why the aforementioned storylines have some holes, as will OU's offensive line. It might not matter who plays quarterback for OU; they still can't do anything behind a porous line. All four offensive linemen being out could also end up being even more costly for the Sooners than the Bulldogs being without Taylor.
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