The 18th ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs host Stephen F. Austin in their opener. Here is a preview and where to watch the game online.
The college football season is upon us. It is always a busy first weekend around the country, as the top teams in the nation begin their quest to reach the College Football Playoff. The goals aren’t any different for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, as they open the season with Stephen F. Austin at home.
The Joe Moorhead era begins Saturday, and he is looking to elevate this Mississippi State team above their usual standing as just solid contenders in the west. They will almost certainly make a bowl game, but expectations are higher this time around, especially for a team that gave the reigning national champs all they could handle. It will be tough to live up to that, especially with the Bulldogs residing in the SEC West. They host Auburn this year, but trips to LSU and Alabama could prove too difficult for them.
The good news is this Bulldog team returns a ton of talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive end Montez Sweat and interior defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons are already popular in draft circles, and those two will take college football by storm this season.
Mississippi State will be without quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, who is suspended for the game today. If this were an SEC game, his loss would be a big deal, but against a small school, the loss won’t mean too much.
The visiting Lumberjacks finished 4-8 last season, which earned them a sixth-place finish in the Southland conference.
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 1
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Starkville, Mississippi
- Stadium: Davis-Wade Stadium
- TV Info: ESPNU
- Live Stream: FuboTV
Expect the Bulldogs to run away with this one from the jump, with a tough defensive front and enough offense to manage without quarterback Nick Fitzgerald.
Prediction: Bulldogs 41, Stephen F. Austin 10