Starkville - 25 years ago Mississippi State captured its first SEC West Title, and a part of that 1998 flavor will be back in Davis Wade Stadium this fall.
On Tuesday, Mississippi State unveiled its throwback uniforms to honor Jackie Sherrill's 1998 squad. The uniform, which features the classic interlocking MSU logo on the helmet, shoulders and pants, a "Miss. State" across the chest, and an old-school SEC patch, will be worn by the Bulldogs in their November 4th matchup against Kentucky.
The interlocking MSU logo would be adopted in 1996 but has been tucked away in the vault since Jackie Sherrill's tenure ended in 2003. It would be replaced by the Banner-M when Sylvester Croom took over as head coach in 2004.
The Bulldogs had some proud moments sporting the interlocking MSU helmets. The 1998 Bulldogs took down Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, and a Top 10 Arkansas team on their path to the school's only SEC West Title. They would fall to Tennessee, the eventual national champions, in the SEC Championship game, but they gave the #1 ranked Volunteers a run for their money in a 24-14 loss at the Georgia Dome.
The 1999 Bulldogs would finish #13 in the AP Poll with a 10-2 record and a Peach Bowl victory over Clemson, while also tacking on wins over LSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, and South Carolina.
On November 4th, Mississippi State fans will not only be taken back to a winning era of Mississippi State football which featured the likes of Fred Smoot, Pork Chop Womack, and Wayne Madkin - they'll be getting back a clean logo they've been hammering for since its retirement.