The Cotton Bowl Classic is an American college football bowl game that has been held annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937. The game was originally played at its namesake stadium in Dallas before moving to Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington in 2010. Since 2014, the game has been sponsored by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and officially known as the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic; it was previously sponsored by Mobil (1989–1995) and Southwestern Bell Corporation/SBC Communications/AT&T (1997–2014).
Major Lee Applewhite is an American football coach and former player who is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the South Alabama Jaguars. He served as head coach at the University of Houston from 2017 to 2018, where he previously served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In 2013, he was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Texas under his head coach as a player, Mack Brown. Prior to Texas, Applewhite served as offensive coordinator at Rice University under Todd Graham in 2006 and at Alabama under Nick Saban in 2007. He was the youngest offensive coordinator among Division I-A schools at that time.
Mario Marcell Haggan is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Buffalo Bills, the Denver Broncos, and St. Louis Rams. He was drafted by the Bills in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft after playing college football at Mississippi State.
Jackie Wayne Sherrill is an American former college football player and coach. He was the head football coach at Washington State University (1976), the University of Pittsburgh (1977–1981), Texas A&M University (1982–1988), and Mississippi State University (1991–2003), compiling a career head coaching record of 180–120–4. Sherrill is a studio analyst for Fox Sports Net's college football coverage.
Clinton Jacob Stoerner is a former American football quarterback, who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins. He also played in the Arena Football League (AFL) and NFL Europe. He played college football for the University of Arkansas.
Daniel Mullen is an American former college football player and coach, and current television analyst with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and ESPN. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from 2009 to 2017 and the University of Florida from 2018 until 2021.
Darrell Ray Dickey is an American football coach currently working as an Offensive Analyst for the Georgia Bulldogs.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the sport of American football. The Bulldogs compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They also have won one SEC championship in 1941 and a division championship in 1998. The Bulldogs have 26 postseason bowl appearances. The program has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124 NFL players. The Bulldogs’ home stadium, Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field, is the second oldest in the NCAA Division I FBS.
Dameyune Vashon Craig is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the Quarterbacks coach at the Texas A&M University. Craig played professionally as quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
The 2007 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Sylvester Croom, who served his fourth season in the position. The Bulldogs played their six home games in 2007 at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi.
The Alabama–Mississippi State football rivalry, also known as the 90 Mile Drive or the Battle for Highway 82, is an American college football rivalry between the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and Mississippi State Bulldogs football team of Mississippi State University. Both universities are founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and are currently members of the SEC's Western Division. The two campuses are located approximately 90 miles apart and are the two geographically closest SEC universities.
The 2000 Sanford Independence Bowl, part of the NCAA football bowl games, took place on December 31, 2000 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The competing teams were the Mississippi State Bulldogs, representing the Southeastern Conference, and the Texas A&M Aggies from the Big 12 Conference.
Arthur Ganong Davis was an American football player who played collegiately at Mississippi State in 1952–55 and for one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL).
The 2013 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Dan Mullen, who was in fifth season with Mississippi State in the 2013 season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi, and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The 2013 Liberty Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game played on December 31, 2013, at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The 55th edition of the Liberty Bowl, it featured the Rice Owls, the champions of Conference USA and the Mississippi State Bulldogs of the Southeastern Conference. It began at 3:00 p.m. CST and aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season. Sponsored by automobile parts and accessories store AutoZone, it was officially known as the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Mississippi State defeated Rice by a score of 44–7.
The 2014 Orange Bowl is a college football bowl game that was played on December 31, 2014, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The 81st Orange Bowl is a "New Year's Six Bowl" of the College Football Playoff. It was one of the 2014–15 bowl games that concluded the 2014 FBS football season.
Nicholas Dylan Fitzgerald is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
The 2017 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers played their home games at Jordan–Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by fifth-year head coach Gus Malzahn. Auburn finished the season 10–4 overall and 7–1 in SEC play to win a share of the Western Division title with Alabama. Due to their head-to-head win over Alabama, they represented the Western Division in the SEC Championship Game where they lost to Georgia. They were invited to the Peach Bowl, where they lost to American Athletic Conference champion UCF.
Stetson Fleming Bennett IV is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Jones College and Georgia. Nicknamed "the Mailman", he started his career as a walk-on at Georgia before transferring to Jones College. Bennett transferred back to Georgia where he won consecutive national championships in 2021 and 2022, joining A. J. McCarron and Tommie Frazier as the only quarterbacks to win consecutive NCAA national championships.
William Wyatt Rogers III is an American football quarterback for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Rogers holds Mississippi State program records in nearly every major passing category and Southeastern Conference (SEC) records for single season and career completions.
