Dixon is downright giddy about measuring himself against the Florida defense, which is ranked second nationally and has only given up two rushing touchdowns all season. But more importantly, he knows it’s a chance for the Bulldogs to get back on track in their quest for a bowl game.
“It’s the biggest game of my life, playing the No. 1 team,” Dixon said. “It’s my first time getting to play Florida. I watched them coming up as a kid. It’s a chance of a lifetime, man. I’ve been dreaming about this day. I’m not going to hold anything back. I’ve been telling my teammates the same thing. We have to get that intensity up, because I know what kind of intensity they’re going to have.
“This is our chance, on national TV, to show everybody what we’re about at Mississippi State.”
Mississippi State first-year coach Dan Mullen said Dixon’s energy has been infectious and is one of the main reasons this team hung in there despite three tough losses in a row prior to the win last week at Middle Tennessee.
“Every day at practice, he’s high energy, high effort,” Mullen said. “In the locker room, he’s high energy and high effort. When he plays, you can see that in how he plays on Saturdays. He’s really a team player, and that’s an important thing when you’re trying to build a program, to have your best player to be all about the team.”
Dixon, who’s sixth all-time in the SEC with 787 rushing attempts, was coming off the best offseason of his career when he ran into his trouble off the field two weeks before the start of preseason practice. He’d dropped 20 pounds, reshaped his body and was moving better than he ever had.
