MSU extends record bowl berth to seven straight years
STARKVILLE - Mississippi State’s season will end with an opponent based out of Oxford. MSU accepted an invitation on Sunday to play in the St. Petersburg Bowl against Miami University, which is located in Oxford, Ohio.
“On behalf of everyone at Mississippi State, we are excited to accept a bowl invitation for a school-record seventh straight year,” athletic director John Cohen said. “St. Petersburg is an excellent destination, and our fans have shown over the years how well they travel to support the Bulldogs. We look forward to the experience of playing a bowl game in the state of Florida for the third time in five seasons. Congratulations to head coach Dan Mullen and his staff on earning a bid to the St. Petersburg Bowl.”
The game is scheduled on Dec. 26 at 10 a.m. at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Cowbells will be allowed inside the stadium.
The Bulldogs will play Miami for the first time in program history. The Redhawks finished 6-6 in the MidAmerican Conference after losing their first six games of the season.
The bowl represents the fourth bowl trip to Florida during Mullen’s tenure. MSU is 4-2 in bowl games under Mullen. It’s the program’s 20th overall.
Mississippi State qualified for a bowl game despite a 5-7 record because of a lack of eligible teams. MSU received a bowl berth as a result of its high Academic Progress Rate (APR).
“We are thrilled to reach a bowl game for a school-record seventh straight year and finish the season in St. Petersburg,” Mullen said. “This is a great opportunity for one of the winningest senior classes in school history and for our program to build momentum for 2017.”