Mississippi State seniors embrace surprise bowl game opportunity

The Bulldogs’ season lives on, as Mississippi State prepares for Wake Forest in a surprise Duke’s Mayo Bowl appearance.

Mississippi State Bulldogs linebacker Nic Mitchell (40) reacts with linebacker Branden Jennings (44) and defensive back Isaac Smith (2) after a defensive stop during the second quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Life doesn’t hand out too many second chances, but Mississippi State was given a second chance to end its season on a high note.

The Bulldogs are hoping to take full advantage of a surprise bowl game invitation after finishing the season 5-7 in a 38-19 loss in the Egg Bowl. It looked like Mississippi State wouldn’t be in a bowl game for a third consecutive season.

Instead, Mississippi State is preparing to face Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on January 2 in Charlotte, NC. It’s a second chance for the team, but also for seniors who thought their collegiate careers were finished.

“I get another opportunity to suit up with my brothers,” senior linebacker Nic Mitchell said. “It's a blessing.”

“I'm extremely excited to get one more chance with our seniors, one more chance with my brothers to go out the right way,” safety Jahron Manning said earlier this week. “I'm extremely thankful for it. All glory to the man above. I'm extremely thankful for it and just blessed and happy to be here.”

Mitchell and Manning are just two of the seniors getting a second chance to end their collegiate careers on a high note. The Bulldogs’ roster has more than 20 seniors, redshirt seniors and graduate students on it.

Some like Blake Shapen are preparing for the next step in their football careers and others are looking to gain another year of eligibility and enter the transfer portal. So, not all will be in the bowl game.

But for all of the seniors, finding out Mississippi State was going to a bowl game had to be a surprise.

“At first, it was a lot of shock and just initial shock, because a lot of guys were out of town,” Mitchell said. “But once we got the guys back, it was a lot of excitement.”

Mitchell was still in Starkville finishing up his classroom work on the fateful Sunday when bowl invitations were sent out. Manning, though, wasn’t in town.

“I was relaxing, just getting back healthy,” Manning said. “I was away in Philadelphia with my girlfriend. I already had a flight booked for Tuesday, so I just got on that one.”

Manning said he did miss the Monday team meeting the day after Mississippi State accepted an invitation to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. But he’s with the team now and fully ready to go.

Most importantly, the Bulldogs are going to have fun.

“You get another opportunity to play football. I mean, why would you not, have fun with something like this?” Mitchell said.

That opportunity comes in exactly two weeks.