The Morning Five: Frenemies?
Photo by David John Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Welcome to the Morning Five, a quick shot of numerical espresso to get you up and out the door as a smarter fan. This morning we’re looking at the history of the Georgia/Mississippi State rivalry. What’s that you say? Georgia and Mississippi State aren’t historical rivals? How sure are you about that? I think you may be a little less sure by the end of this list. #1….1914. That’s the year of the first Georgia/Mississippi State game, a 9-0 MSU victory in Athens. The Red and Black wouldn’t take on Kentucky in football for the first time for another 25 years, and would t face Ole Miss on the gridiron until 1940. #2….26. That’s the total number of times these teams have faced off. Admittedly it’s not that often compared to some of Georgia’s “traditional” rivals, but those numbers (like everything else in the league) were skewed immensely by the arrival of divisional play in 1992. Beginning in the 1950s and up until the divisional system, the various and sundry Bulldogs faced each other four times per decade, almost every other year. In each full decade between the end of World War II and the beginning of divisional play (the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s) Georgia played the boys from Starkville more frequently than they played Tennessee. Think about how many fewer times you’d have been exposed to Rocky Top if Roy Kramer had just left well enough alone. #3…..76.9. That’s the percentage of games in this series (20 out of 26) won by the Georgia Bulldogs. That’s a pretty strong record. It is however lower than Georgia’s winning percentage over Kentucky (.833), but higher than their percentage versus the mighty Vanderbilt Commodores (.747). So it’s not the most competitive SEC series Georgia plays. #4…..1941. That’s the last year that Mississippi State won an SEC football title. Admittedly, the Bizarro Bulldogs haven’t had a ton of gridiron success, at least using the measuring sticks to which Georgia, Alabama, LSU, and even Florida fans are accustomed. #5….1956. And that’s the last year that the Clanga Cohort beat Georgia in Athens. Since then the Classic City Canines have won eleven straight games against the Starkvillians in Sanford Stadium. Which in a totally statistically unrigorous and unreliable way means that the odds of an upset on Saturday are low, and that if one occurred it would be embarrassingly historic. So, is Mississippi State in fact, Georgia’s long lost rival? Eh… probably not. This is, however, a historic series that harkens back to the early days of modern Southern football, and one that I don’t mind seeing on the schedule now that we’re no longer yoked to South Carolina and Vanderbilt every season. Until later…. Go ‘Dawgs!!!
Welcome to the Morning Five, a quick shot of numerical espresso to get you up and out the door as a smarter fan. This morning we’re looking at the history of the Georgia/Mississippi State rivalry.
What’s that you say? Georgia and Mississippi State aren’t historical rivals? How sure are you about that? I think you may be a little less sure by the end of this list.
#1….1914. That’s the year of the first Georgia/Mississippi State game, a 9-0 MSU victory in Athens. The Red and Black wouldn’t take on Kentucky in football for the first time for another 25 years, and would t face Ole Miss on the gridiron until 1940.
#2….26. That’s the total number of times these teams have faced off. Admittedly it’s not that often compared to some of Georgia’s “traditional” rivals, but those numbers (like everything else in the league) were skewed immensely by the arrival of divisional play in 1992. Beginning in the 1950s and up until the divisional system, the various and sundry Bulldogs faced each other four times per decade, almost every other year. In each full decade between the end of World War II and the beginning of divisional play (the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s) Georgia played the boys from Starkville more frequently than they played Tennessee. Think about how many fewer times you’d have been exposed to Rocky Top if Roy Kramer had just left well enough alone.
#3…..76.9. That’s the percentage of games in this series (20 out of 26) won by the Georgia Bulldogs. That’s a pretty strong record. It is however lower than Georgia’s winning percentage over Kentucky (.833), but higher than their percentage versus the mighty Vanderbilt Commodores (.747). So it’s not the most competitive SEC series Georgia plays.
#4…..1941. That’s the last year that Mississippi State won an SEC football title. Admittedly, the Bizarro Bulldogs haven’t had a ton of gridiron success, at least using the measuring sticks to which Georgia, Alabama, LSU, and even Florida fans are accustomed.
#5….1956. And that’s the last year that the Clanga Cohort beat Georgia in Athens. Since then the Classic City Canines have won eleven straight games against the Starkvillians in Sanford Stadium. Which in a totally statistically unrigorous and unreliable way means that the odds of an upset on Saturday are low, and that if one occurred it would be embarrassingly historic.
So, is Mississippi State in fact, Georgia’s long lost rival? Eh… probably not. This is, however, a historic series that harkens back to the early days of modern Southern football, and one that I don’t mind seeing on the schedule now that we’re no longer yoked to South Carolina and Vanderbilt every season. Until later….
Go ‘Dawgs!!!
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