Joe Moorhead and the Mississippi State Bulldogs enter their second season together by heading down to New Orleans to meet up with the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, who are entering their second season with Billy Napier at the helm.
Year one of the Joe Moorhead era of Mississippi State football left some Bulldog fans wanting more out of the program. The team had a historically great defense and yet stumbled its way to an 8-5 record.
Year one of the Billy Napier era of Louisiana football had significantly lower expectations, and notably less success, but still plenty of promise for a notably smaller program with fewer resources.
Now, the two teams will meet in New Orleans as both enter the second season with their respective head coaches.
In Starkville, many Mississippi State football fans are excited about new quarterback Tommy Stevens, the new Bulldog still has to prove himself in an actual game as a full-time starting quarterback. A game down in New Orleans against Louisiana is probably a pretty good starting place for Stevens and the Bulldogs to get used to each other on the gridiron.
And yet, Moorhead’s Mississippi State team will have to deal with NCAA sanctions this coming season. They’re not crippling penalties by any means, but it’s a hurdle MSU will still have to clear.
In Lafayette, the Ragin’ Cajuns are experiencing some turnover on offense, but will hope to take advantage of a solid opportunity to catch Mississippi State off guard on a field that Louisiana is more than familiar with.
How to bet on and watch Mississippi State vs. Louisiana
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
- Start Time: 11 CT
- Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Superdome
- TV Info: ESPNU
- Odds: Mississippi State –20
- Over/Under: 60
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
Prediction
Billy Napier has a nice thing going down in Lafayette, Louisiana. The Ragin’ Cajuns showed a lot of promise a season ago and this program could develop into a solid one. That said, there’s still a gulf of talent between the Ragin’ Cajuns and the Bulldogs that will make things difficult for Napier in this game.
MSU’s Stevens didn’t move to Starkville to simply put up pedestrian numbers. Moorhead didn’t seek out a player from his former employer so that his offense could continue to struggle as it did in 2018. While there might be some bumps in the road for this pairing as Stevens gets accustomed to starting for the Bulldogs, MSU’s offense should thrive in this game against an outmatched opponent.
Plus, even if Stevens isn’t performing well, running back Kylin Hill is more than capable of carrying the Bulldogs into the end zone on any given play.
Expect State to win and expect this game to be over by the third quarter.
Score: Mississippi State 52, Louisiana 17