Oklahoma's First Trip to Starkville Pits Them Against an Old Assistant Coach

Sooners On SI will break down Oklahoma's 2026 schedule, opponent by opponent, for a series dubbed "Know Your Foe." You can look forward to an opponent breakdown each day. Catch up by checking out the preview for the Kentucky Wildcats.

It seems like every conference has a road trip or two where "weird things happen."

In the Big 12, it was always "Lubbock at night" you wanted to avoid. The Texas Tech Red Raiders famous night game upsets of Texas and Oklahoma sprinkled throughout the last 25 years seemed to help perpetuate that myth.

In the SEC, there are college football cathedrals and tough environments to play in. But Starkville, home of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, holds the reputation of being—to put politely—as one of the more unique environments to play in.

Oklahoma will travel to the state of Mississippi for only the second time in program history (Ole Miss in 2024) when the Sooners take on Jeff Lebby's Bulldogs. How will the Sooners fare against MSU? But first, some history.

Past Battles

Marcus Dupree, Oklahoma Sooners — Oklahoma Sooners running back Marcus Dupree stands on the sidelines during the 1982 season. | Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

As previously mentioned, Oklahoma's Oct. 24 date with Mississippi State will be only the second time the Sooners have traveled to the Magnolia State. OU has a storied history of playing all over the map, yet much of the footprint of the Southeastern Conference remains virgin territory for the program.

Prior to joining the conference, OU had only played at an SEC school (excluding former conference foes Missouri and Texas A&M) three times—Kentucky in 1982, Alabama in 2003 and Tennessee in 2015. This was due to the SEC's scheduling philosophy of not playing many games west of the Mississippi River until the 1990s.

But the Sooners have etched their names in the history of Mississippi football with the recruitment of ultra-recruit Marcus Dupree in 1981. Every program in the country wanted Dupree, yet Barry Switzer was the coach who won his signature on signing day. The relationship between Dupree and the Sooners, albeit brief, is the stuff of legend.

Venables and Lebby have only ever sqaured off against one another from 2008-2011. Lebby was starting out under Art Briles as a quality control assistant while Venables led Oklahoma's defense during that span.

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Returning Starters

Kelley Jones, Mississippi Stat — Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive back Kelley Jones reacts during the fourth quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Lebby's second season brought more wins and more stabillity to Starkville. While they had to dip into the transfer portal for dozens of new players, the Bulldogs are just as excited about the talent they're retaining.

Defensive back Kelley Jones opted for one more year in college rather than enter his name in the NFL Draft. His 11 pass breakups with two interceptions made him a formidable corner. Jones will be a redshirt junior in 2026, starting the previous two seasons.

Jones is joined by Isaac Smith at safety, who denied a few offers in the transfer portal to return to Starkville. Smith has over 200 combined tackles in 33 games of action over three years.

Anthony Evans III strangely led the Bulldogs in receptions last year (67 for 831 yards) but didn't find the end zone. In Lebby's bear raid attack, Evans' experience and dependibility may lead to him scoring for the first time this season.

New Faces

Oklahoma Sooners, Kendel Dolby — Oklahoma defensive back Kendel Dolby at a fall practice for the Sooners. | Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

Lebby's familiarty with a portion of the Sooner roster paid off in MSU's transfer portal additions. Mississippi State will welcome three former Oklahoma players in 2026—Kendel Dolby, Isaiah Autry-Dent and Zion Ragins.

Of the three, Dolby has the best chance to be an instant impact player for the Bulldog defense if he is back at 100 percent. When Dolby was healthy, he was one of OU's better defenders. His 2026 season was hampered by his rehab and the fact that Oklahoma improved at his position with the addition of Kendal Daniels.

One of the bigger splashes Lebby made in the portal was the addition of former Missouri wide receiver Marquis Johnson. Johnson has over 1000 yards receiving and six touchdowns in three seasons. His best year was his freshman outing in 2023, when he hauled in three of those six touchdowns.

Former Texas A&M Aggie defensive lineman Dealyn Evans also chose to continue his career in Starkville. At 6-5, 290, Evans has some ways to go before becoming a consistent force in the middle. He appeared in every game last year and registered eight tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Key Departures

Benan Thompson, Mississippi Stat — Mississippi State wideout Brenan Thompson speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Another former Sooner in Brenan Thompson left Norman to follow Lebby. Thompson had a banner season last year, tying Isaiah Sategna III in yards for second. MSU will have to find a new player—they hope its the transfer, Johnson—to take the top off of a defense the way Thompson could with his speed.

Mississippi State also lost 6-6 offensive tackle and two year starter Luke Work to the transfer portal.

Starting safety Cyrus Reyes also chose the portal route—going to Kentucky—after playing in 25 games during the past two seasons. He recorded 12 total tackles.

Schedule Placement

Oklahoma Sooners, Brent Venables — Oklahoma coach Brent Venables | Carson Field, Sooners on SI

If a soft spot on Oklahoma's 2026 schedule exists on paper, Mississippi State is sandwhiched right in the middle of it.

Kentucky, MSU and South Carolina—two of those in Norman—appear to be the reprieve from the Sooners' brutal beginning of their schedule. Things can change fast in the SEC and for all anyone knows, Lebby's Bulldogs could find magic in year three, making OU's road trip even more difficult.

Speaking of difficult road trips, OU has played in the Cotton Bowl, they've played in front of over 100,000 people in Knoxvile—and will against when they travel to Michigan in September—they've gone to the Autzen Zoo to take on Oregon and they've played in a blizzard in West Virginia.

But has Oklahoma ever played in a stadium ringing with cowbells? Not in the modern era, at least. How will they react? Only time will tell.