Good morning! Bulldog football Class of 2024 signee Michael Van Buren was named the MVP of the prestigious All-American Game for his performance in which he went 10-15 passing with 136 yards with a touchdown. The State quarterback commit will be rolling into Starkville with momentum as the Coach Lebby era gets underway.

What else did we throw into today’s Bulldog Brew?

🏀 Women’s basketball recap
🏈 Newest Signee
🐶 And much, much more!

🎥 COURTSIDE CONVERSATIONS

Courtside Conversations: Tolu Smith III. Conference play is right around the corner and with star Tolu Smith III back on the court, the excitement couldn't be higher. Tune in to hear his eagerness for Saturday's game against South Carolina, the positive takeaways from his rehab and the high praise he has for Jimmy Bell Jr.

🎥 BULLDOG BREAKDOWN

Bulldog Breakdown: UT Martin. Step into yet another exclusive session with Coach Richard Williams, as he delves deep into the exhilarating 87-63 victory against UT Martin. Gain insider insights, tactical analysis and a front-row seat to the thrilling moments that defined that game.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 A Battle To The End. The Bulldogs came up just short in its SEC opener inside Humphrey Coliseum on Thursday after falling 71-66 to Vanderbilt. Jerkaila Jordan led all State scorers with 21 points on eight made field goals while Debreasha Powe and Darrione Rogers contributed double-digit performances with 15 and 12 points, respectively.

🗣️ "I know I have a locker room full of fighters. I keep saying that my focus is on our film session tomorrow. That is uncharacteristic for how we played today. We have to get back and watch film in order to get back to the basics in order to put our best foot forward for four quarters on Sunday.” - Sam Purcell

The focus will quickly shift as the Bulldogs turn their attention to No. 1 ranked South Carolina in a national showdown on ESPN at 12 p.m.

🔼 Pro Bowl Bulldogs. A trio of former Bulldogs were officially announced as some of the best ballers in the NFL after earning Pro Bowl honors. State’s three selections are tied for fifth-most among all schools in the country.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones, quarterback Dak Prescott and defensive lineman Montez Sweat were each voted as Pro Bowl selections for the 2023 season.

🏈 Prescott received his selection after his standout season with the Dallas Cowboys. With one game left in the regular season, Dak has thrown for the fourth-most yards (4,237), has the third-highest completion percentage among starters (68.4%) and has thrown the most touchdowns of any quarterback in the NFL (32).

🏈 Jones earned the nod for his continuous dominance on the defensive front. In 15 games played this season, the defensive tackle has accumulated 29 total tackles and 9.5 sacks.

🏈 Sweat became a Pro Bowler after becoming the first player in NFL history to lead two teams in sacks in the same season after getting 6.5 sacks with the Washington Commanders and six sacks after being traded to the Chicago Bears.

🔼 Newest Signee. Bulldog football added its newest member to the Class of 2024 after wide receiver Braylon “Stonka” Burnside made his commitment to stay home and attend Mississippi State University.

🎥 Watch the moment Burnside became a Bulldog

The 4-star recruit and Starkville native was ranked as the No. 7 overall recruit in Mississippi and the No. 13 overall athlete in the country according to 247Sports. The receiver earned First Team All-State honors in 2023 after recording 59 receptions for 1,006 yards and 16 touchdowns at Starkville High School.

🔼 Dear Ol’ State. On Saturday, head coach Chris Jans and the Mississippi State men's basketball team begin SEC action at South Carolina. Joel Coleman and Logan Lowery set the stage for conference play on the latest edition of Dear Ol' State, and bring you the latest comments from Jans.

🐶 Listen now on HailState+

🟢 Listen now on Spotify

🍎 Listen now on Apple Podcasts

🤔 BULLDOG TRIVIA

SEC Wins Part II. Much like the women’s team last season, Bulldog men’s basketball also held its own in the SEC since the arrival of Coach Jans in 2022.

Our question today: do you know how many wins the Bulldogs got during SEC play in the 2022-23 season?

Think you know the answer? Scroll down to the bottom to find out!

📬 STICK WITH US

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🐶 DAWG DAILY

Today’s Dawg Daily: SEC Home Opener + The Weekend Ahead. It was a classic at The Hump last night as the Bulldogs fell to Vandy 71-66. Joey and Jalyn will recap it all as well as get you ready for both teams' games in Columbia, S.C.

✅ Listen to today’s Dawg Daily on Spotify

🍎 Listen to today’s Dawg Daily on Apple Podcasts

📆 LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday 1/6

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. South Carolina @ 11:00am in Columbia, SC | Watch | Listen | Live Stats

Sunday 1/7

🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. South Carolina @ 12:00 pm in Columbia, SC | Listen

🐶 Click here to see the full Mississippi State Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Eight!

Bulldog men’s basketball finished with eight wins in SEC play during the 2022-23 season.

🐶 Have a great weekend, y'all!