Good morning! Mississippi State announced the receipt of a single pledge of $8 million to Mississippi State Athletics to advance its mission of delivering exceptional competitive resources that will uplift the Bulldogs football program. This monumental gift, committed by a family who wishes to remain anonymous, is the second-largest commitment in MSU Athletics history and will help fuel the momentum of Mississippi State Football and kick start the State Excellence Fund, the Mississippi State Athletics fund of the future.

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

⚽️ A soccer shutout in SEC opener
🏈 Hosting the Gators for a morning matchup
🐶 And much, much more!

🎙️ DEAR OL’ STATE

Dear Ol’ State: Isaac Smith and Kyle Ferrie. As Mississippi State football gets set to host Florida on Saturday, safety Isaac Smith and kicker Kyle Ferrie both hop on the Dear Ol' State podcast with Joel Coleman and Logan Lowery.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Open and Shut Out. Bulldog soccer kicked off its SEC campaign in commanding fashion, delivering a 2-0 shutout on the road against Oklahoma on Thursday night. On a night when the Sooners were celebrating their inaugural SEC contest, the Bulldogs played the role of spoiler, led by goals from Zoe Main and Price Loposer, and a dominant performance in goal by Maddy Anderson. The No. 24 ranked Bulldogs out-shot the Sooners 19-10, and Anderson helped earn the shutout win with five saves in net.

🔼 First One, Won. Mississippi State volleyball reigned victorious against Southern Miss, as they took down the Golden Eagles 3-1 in the first of their two matches. After losing set one, State came back and clinched the next three sets to earn the team’s fifth victory of the season. The Bulldogs racked up 46 kills in the contest with Arissa Smith leading the team in hitting percentage, as she finished .444 with nine kills. State is back at home today to face the Golden Eagles again at 3 p.m.

🔼 White Out The Gators. Bulldog football will face off against the Gators on Saturday at 11 a.m. to open SEC play for the 2024 season. Both teams are entering Saturday with a 1-2 record, looking for that first conference win. State will look to boost its offensive play with explosive players such as freshman wideout Mario Craver Jr. who is one of two SEC freshmen with 100+ receiving yards and multiple touchdowns this season. The Bulldog secondary will look to lead the defense with the unit ranking among the country’s top third in passing yards allowed.

🔥 Check out the Bulldog uniforms for the matchup on Saturday

🔼 Seeing Success. State men’s tennis sent four members of its team members to compete in the ITF Fayetteville 15K this week and all four are advancing to the quarterfinals of the singles main draw. Additionally, the Bulldog duo of Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez – the top collegiate tandem in the country – earned a spot in the semifinals on Thursday after rallying back to edge teammates Niccolo Baroni and Mario Martinez Serrano in a grueling three-set battle. Serrano may have tallied the most impressive singles win of the day as he downed the third-overall seed in the tournament in another three-set match.

📊 See the full match results from Thursday’s competition

🔼 Tee Time. Mississippi State women’s golf is headed to Franklin, Tennessee, to compete in their second tournament of the season, the Mason Rudolph Championship. The Bulldogs enter the tournament after making their season debut at the Carmel Cup where the team finished third place in the field. Julia Lopez Ramirez earned a third place finish after finishing the tournament at 4-under par. Lopez Ramirez leads the lineup again for the Bulldogs, followed by Avery Weed in the second spot, and Chiara Horder rounding out the top three.

📝 See the full lineup heading to the Mason Rudolph Championship

🤔 BULLDOG TRIVIA

First Time For Everything. Today’s trivia question…what was the outcome of the first football game between the Bulldogs and the Gators?

Think you got it? Scroll to the bottom of the Bulldog Brew to see if you know your stuff!

🤝 SHARE THE BREW

Do you know a friend or family member who is a Bulldog fan? Simply forward them this email and they can sign up to receive the brew by clicking the link below to subscribe. The Bulldog Brew is sent every weekday and is completely free!

📆 THE WEEK AHEAD

Friday, September 20
⛳️ Women’s Golf @ Mason Rudolph Championship in Franklin, TN
🏐 Volleyball vs. Southern Miss @ 3 p.m. in Starkville, MS | SECN+

Saturday, September 21
⛳️ Women’s Golf @ Mason Rudolph Championship in Franklin, TN
⛳️ Men’s Golf @ Valero Texas Collegiate in San Antonio, TX | Live Scoring
🎾 Men’s Tennis @ ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, OK
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITA All-American Championships in Cary, NC
🏈 Football vs. Florida @ 11 a.m. in Starkville, MS | Tickets | ESPN | Listen

Sunday, September 22
⛳️ Women’s Golf @ Mason Rudolph Championship in Franklin, TN
⛳️ Men’s Golf @ Valero Texas Collegiate in San Antonio, TX | Live Scoring
🎾 Men’s Tennis @ ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, OK
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITA All-American Championships in Cary, NC
⚽️ Soccer vs. Texas @ 6:30 p.m. in Starkville, MS | SECN+

🐶 Click here to see the full Mississippi State Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: A tie!

On November 24, 1923, the Bulldogs and Gators tied 13-13 in a neutral site game in Jacksonville, Florida. Since then, State has won 19 games against Florida, with the most recent being a 10-7 victory during the 2010 season.

🐶 Have a great weekend, y'all!