- - Why is Mississippi State in Duke's Mayo Bowl? Bulldogs' eligibility, explained

Austin Curtright, USA TODAY NETWORKJanuary 2, 2026 at 8:03 AM

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Why is Mississippi State in Duke's Mayo Bowl? Bulldogs' eligibility, explained

Mississippi State football looks to prove it belongs in bowl season when it faces Wake Forest in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Jan. 2, the final day of regular bowl matchups.

The Bulldogs failed to reach the six-win threshold to earn bowl eligibility, finishing a win short with a 5-7 record in the regular season. Second-year coach Jeff Lebby did improve by three wins in 2025, after Mississippi State went 2-10 last season.

REQUIRED READING: Why 5-7 Mississippi State accepted Duke's Mayo Bowl invite vs Wake Forest

Mississippi State earned a bowl game bid due to multiple teams opting out of the postseason for different reasons.

The Bulldogs fielded a strong offense this season, one that averaged 30.5 points per game and ranked ninth in the SEC. They'll turn to true freshman Kamario Taylor, a former high-end four-star recruit, at quarterback against the Demon Deacons.

Taylor ran for 173 yards with two touchdowns in Mississippi State's Egg Bowl loss to Ole Miss in the regular season finale.

Here's why Mississippi State is playing in a bowl game despite falling short of the 6-win bowl eligibility mark.

1 / 30Best of bowl season: Mascots, trophies, celebrations, Gatorade bathsDefensive back Tony-Louis Nkuba #21 of the Arizona State Sun Devils celebrates by jumping into an inflatable bowl of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes after intercepting a pass against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half of the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl game at Sun Bowl Stadium on December 31, 2025 in El Paso, TexasWhy is Mississippi State playing in a bowl game?

The door opened for Mississippi State to reach a bowl game due to Kansas State, Iowa State and Notre Dame opting out of their bowl games.

Kansas State and Iowa State both opted out after losing their respective head coaches in Chris Klieman to retirement and Matt Campbell, who left for the Penn State opening. Notre Dame opted out after dropping out of the College Football Playoff field in favor of Miami when the bracket was revealed.

"We definitely didn’t think we’d be playing in a bowl game on Sunday morning," Lebby said on Dec. 10. "Then we get a phone call, I guess mid-morning, to talk to us about the possibility of it, and making sure we were in great alignment on what we wanted to be able to go do."

Mississippi State was one of three 5-7 teams to reach a bowl game, along with Appalachian State and Rice. Multiple teams reportedly declined bowl invitations before Mississippi State was asked, according to On3's Brett McMurphy. McMurphy reported Florida State, Auburn, UCF, Baylor, Kansas, Rutgers and Temple all declined invitations.

Mississippi State is playing in its first bowl game since the 2022 season, giving the school an opportunity it hasn't had in recent years. The Bulldogs won their first SEC game since 2022 when they defeated Arkansas 38-35 late in the regular season.

The NCAA determines bowl game eligibility for teams based on APR (Academic Progress Rate), which measures a team's academic performance. Teams with higher scores are given priority, which may come into play with 5-7 teams receiving invitations.

When's the last time Mississippi State played a bowl game?

Mississippi State last played in a bowl game on Jan. 2, 2023, when the Bulldogs defeated Illinois 19-10. It was the school's first game after head coach Mike Leach died a few weeks earlier.

Zach Arnett, who was recently hired as defensive coordinator by Lebby, was the interim coach for the game before being elevated to the role full time for the 2023 season.

The Bulldogs finished 9-4 on the season and were ranked No. 19 in the final US LBM Coaches Poll.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is Mississippi State in a bowl game? Bulldogs' appearance, explained

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