Praise the Lord and Go Dawgs

Religion is a linchpin to society.

If you follow a certain faith - Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, or anything else - it is one of the focal points of your daily life. It is something that you trust with your life.

It was January 22, 2015 when Morgan William made her first mark on the Mississippi State women’s basketball program. The Lady Bulldogs were in a gridlock with the Rebels of Ole Miss in Oxford. Tied 62-62, William made a buzzer beater jump shot to lift the Bulldogs to victory. After the game, head coach Vic Schaefer exclaimed a phrase.

Everything started rolling from there. “PTLGD” became a catchphrase, a rallying cry; something Mississippi State fans chanted from the mountain top when a great moment occurred for the Lady Dawgs.

It was a phrase that incorporated Vic Schaefer’s love for basketball, Mississippi State, and his lord and savior.

Ever since that moment in Oxford, the Bulldogs have depended on their religious faith to take them places never before seen by any other program across Mississippi State athletics.

The story of David and Goliath is used quite often in sports; most of the time, it is quite hyperbolic. If Alabama loses in football, or Kentucky in basketball, you’re probably going to see a reference to the biblical tale somewhere on television, a newspaper, or some form of social media.

But, contrary to the sentiments shared previously, it is the only way I can truly encapsulate what happened last night in Dallas, Texas.

The women’s basketball program at the University of Connecticut is the greatest, most unstoppable dynasty in the history of college sports, if not all of sports.

Since 1994, they have won eleven national titles, either their conference tournament or regular season title, and haven’t missed a Sweet Sixteen. Over the last ten years, they haven’t missed a Final Four. They had won four consecutive national championships and 111 straight games.

The Lady Bulldogs took them down, 66-64, and Morgan William hit another buzzer beater to do so.

Mississippi State defeated UConn. Mississippi State ended the longest winning streak in NCAA history. Mississippi State shocked the world.

David slew Goliath.

It doesn’t matter what religion you believe in. Regardless, you have faith in it. You have trust in it. You love it.

Vic Schaefer and Mississippi State followed their faith. They followed the path that was laid out for them. And now, they are one win away from a national championship.

Praise the Lord and Go Dawgs.