Prior to donning the Silver and Black each Sunday, many of the Raiders players were wearing different colors Saturday, playing for their college teams and representing their respective universities.
This time of the year in particular college rivalries run deep, so we're here to highlight some of the matchups between current Raiders teammates, but former college football foes.
The Matchup:
Denico Autry and Gabe Jackson's Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Neiko Thorpe's Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala.
Background:
The Mississippi State Bulldogs arrive in Alabama to take on the Tigers coming off a dominant 62-13 win over Northwestern State last weekend.
For the season, they're 2-1 with their lone loss coming at the hands of No. 14 LSU.
After their showdown with Auburn, they head back out on the road to take on the Texas A&M Aggies.
Similarly to Mississippi State, Auburn's lone loss of 2015 has come to the Tigers of LSU. They also enter Saturday's game at 2-1, with San Jose State as the next opponent on their schedule.
A Walk Down Memory Lane:
Autry:Played two years at Mississippi State, appearing in 25 games with 23 starts. He finished his abbreviated career with 73 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 6 sacks, forcing 3 fumbles.
Jackson:Jackson started all 52 games of his career at left guard and was named a two-time All-American selection and a two-time first-team All-SEC recipient during his time in Starkville.
Thorpe:During his four years at Auburn, the rangy defensive back played in 51 games, recording 174 total tackles and 9 interceptions. He was also a member of the 2010 National Championship team.
Predictions:
Jackson:"No doubt. I'm not really big into score predictions, but I'm pretty sure that we're going to pull it out."
Thorpe:"I got a couple of guys I still talk to down there and just like when I was there, they're excited for it. There's more than one rivalry, especially in the SEC, but every week is a challenge. I don't have a score, but I predict, and you can quote me, we're going to win it. Auburn's going to win."
