When the Bulldogs hit the field on September 1, they will kick off their 112th season of competition. With today marking 111 days until kickoff, it seems like a wonderful time to look at all the highs (there really are some) and the lows (yeah...) of Mississippi State football year by year. So hop in the Delorean, the Syrians are coming, and we have to hit 88 mph before lightening hits the tower.
Whew! We made it. Welcome to the year 1895! Captain W. M. Matthews has a tough job ahead of him as the Mississippi A&M Aggies get ready to play their inaugural season of football. The Aggies have two games on the schedule, both teams from Tennessee: Southern Baptist (now Union University) in Jackson, Tenn. and the Memphis Athletic Club.
One of the most important decisions Matthews made during his first and only season in charge of the Aggies the selection of maroon and white as the official colors of Mississippi A&M athletics.
To the casual observer, the 1895 squad may have looked like Sylvester Croom was running the offense. The Aggies failed to score a single point in those two games.
The Aggies hit the road in both of their contests to open the season. In their first game ever, a November 16match up, they dropped a 21-0 decision to the Bulldogs. A few weeks later on December 7, the Aggies fell to the Memphis Athletic Club 16-0.
In the early days of college football, athletic clubs often served as opponents to college squads. These athletic clubs later served as the basis of professional football when they started paying the best players to keep them on their squad.
With a winless season, the frustrations started early for the fans of the Maroon and White. Are changes around the corner? Find out tomorrow.