STARKVILLE, Miss. – Emotions will be extremely high Saturday as No. 19 Mississippi State hosts Florida in a battle between Dan Mullen's current team and his former one. The Bulldogs, perhaps peeking ahead to this matchup, come off a 28-7 upset loss to Kentucky that dropped them in the polls while the Gators ripped off their third 45-plus point game in stomping Tennessee 47-21.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Mississippi State -7.5.
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This one has been circled on both teams' calendars ever since Mullen, after a 69-46 mark in nine successful seasons at Mississippi State, decided last November to return to Florida, where he served as offensive coordinator for two Gators national championship teams in four seasons (2005-08). "When I think of the fans and I think of the former players and the people of the town of Starkville, I think for the most part they were appreciative in what we were able to accomplish in the nine years that we were there," Mullen told reporters. "I spent nine years trying to create a tradition, so now I get to go back and see what it's like to be on the other sideline of the tradition we created." Familiarity will no doubt be a big theme, as Mullen and seven of his assistant coaches know full well the talents and tendencies of the Bulldogs, especially star quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, while Mississippi State will look to take full advantage of its inside knowledge of the offensive and defensive schemes that Mullen likes to run. "There's an emotional component attached to this game that is relative to Coach Mullen and his staff being with these (MSU) players for an extended amount of time," Bulldogs first-year head coach Joe Moorhead said. "But at the end of the day, I'm not going to be on the field taking any snaps and neither are our assistants or any of their coaches. The game is going to be played on the field between the white lines between 11 Mississippi State players and 11 Florida players."
ABOUT FLORIDA (3-1, 1-1 SEC)
Mullen upped the tempo for the Bulldogs' offense and he's begun to work similar magic on the Gators, who have already produced 15 touchdown drives under three minutes this season, three more than they had all of last season and matching the total from 2016. Quarterback Feleipe Franks continues to mature and he has thrown multiple touchdown passes in each of his last six games, becoming the first Florida quarterback to turn the trick since Tim Tebow. "It would be great to give him (Mullen) a win against Mississippi State, the team he just came from," said Florida junior wide receiver Freddie Swain, who is tied with Van Jefferson with three TD catches apiece. "Just focus on it's another game. Hopefully, we get a win. Just win."
ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (3-1, 0-1)
Fitzgerald really blossomed under Mullen and he emerged as a dual threat, becoming only the third player in SEC history with at least 35 touchdowns rushing and passing, joining Tebow (2006-09) and former Bulldogs star Dak Prescott (2012-15), both also coached by Mullen. Gators defensive boss Todd Grantham will have his defense well-prepared and primed to contain Fitzgerald but the Bulldogs offense is talented and explosive, already producing two 600-yard outings under Moorhead -- 607 vs. Louisiana and 618 against Stephen F. Austin. Defensive end Montez Sweat (22.5) and noseguard Jeffery Simmons (19.5) have combined for 42 tackles for loss in the 17 games they have played together and they spearhead a defense giving up only 4.2 yards per play and 269.3 total yards per game, both ranked in the top 10 in the country.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Bulldogs and Gators first met in 1923 with Florida leading the all-time series 33-19-2, but it's the teams' first encounter since 2010, when Mississippi State pulled out a 10-7 victory.
2. This will be the first time since 1934 that a former Bulldogs head coach will be on the opposing sidelines as head coach of the other team.
3. The teams each have one loss this season -- both falling to Kentucky.
PREDICTION: Mississippi State 38, Florida 35