STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State football gets the unfortunate distinction of welcoming the Manning family back to SEC when it faces No. 1 Texas on Saturday.

It’s unclear who will start at quarterback for the Longhorns, but with Quinn Ewers being listed as questionable in the latest Student-Athlete Availability Report, Bulldog fans shouldn’t be surprised to see Arch Manning lined up at quarterback Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs are dealing with their own quarterback injuries, but their starting quarterback has already been announced.

True freshman Michael Van Buren will start for Mississippi State against the top-ranked Longhorns and their defense that ranks fifth nationally in total defense.

It may be the most difficult first-time collegiate start considering how the Bulldogs have performed in the first four games of 2024 (1-3 overall, 0-1 SEC). Van Buren, a 4-star recruit, faces a Goliath that David-himself might not want to face.

But, nevertheless, kickoff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. Saturday.

Score a touchdown?

That may seem like a low hurdle to clear, but consider what it would mean for Van Buren to score the first touchdown of the season against the Longhorns’ defense?

Colorado State, Michigan, UTSA and Louisiana-Monroe all failed to score a touchdown against Texas. If Van Buren can throw a touchdown pass or run for one, that’ll be a huge indicator of his potential.

To be blunt, Van Buren leading a drive that ends with a touchdown of any kind should be considered a success.

Yes, it’s a low hurdle. But maybe it isn’t so low if you consider Texas is nearly a 40-point favorite to win Saturday at DKR-Memorial Stadium.

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Mississippi State football will look to end its three-game losing streak against the nation’s number-one team, Texas. None of the struggles this season for Mississippi State under first-year head coach Jeff Lebby are as prevalent as the defense’s poor play.

The Mississippi State defense has been atrocious, giving up 45 points last week to a struggling Florida offense. However, the group can rally the troops in a huge game, but who will need to step up for that to happen?

Trevion Williams

The Mississippi State defensive line has been problematic in terms of play and injuries this season. Williams garnered a lot of hype coming into the season due to his talent but had struggled with injuries in the past.

However, the former four-star has remained healthy this season but has produced little to no value. Someone on this defensive line has to step up and make an impact, and Willams has by far the most upside, but he has to show it on the field.

Kelley Jones

Jones was another guy who came into the season with a lot of hype and has played well for a redshirt freshman. However, the speedy corner has yet to force a turnover, and if Mississippi State wants to pull the upset, forcing a couple of mistakes is vital.

Texas will undoubtedly test the Mississippi State secondary early in this game, and if Jones can make a play, it may cause the Longhorns to adjust their game plan.

Zakari Tillman

With this season being a rebuilding year for Mississippi State, many young players will likely get extended reps in games. Tillman looks impressive when he is on the field, and he is the size of an SEC linebacker.

The Florence, Miss. native will face his stiffest test to this point in his career. How will he respond?

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PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Ten states, including Illinois, signed a cooperative endeavor agreement which some believe will lead to further economic growth.

The agreement unifies both the inland ports of the Mississippi River as well as its coastal ports in the South.

Robert Sinkler is the Executive Coordinating Director of the Corn Belt Ports, the inland ports in the Midwest. He said this agreement is the first of its kind for Mississippi River ports, as previously there was no unification.

“We’ve never had that kind of port system recognized before and we’ve never really worked closely together between the ports,” he said.

There is a local impact as well. The Illinois River Cities and Towns Initiative is a coalition of several municipalities on the Illinois River, spearheaded by Peoria Mayor Rita Ali and East Peoria Mayor John Kahl.

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Anshu Singh is the project manager for the initiative, and spoke about why the group is being formed.

“This will bring the mayors together, to align their priorities with their local port, so that they can influence the investment decisions and also attract much-needed attention to the Illinois River basin,” she said.

Municipalities such as Havana, Henry, and Morris have joined the coalition. It’s sponsored by the Illinois Waterway Ports Commission, which Singh says is just now receiving federal recognition.

“It’s trying to build up the influence to get more investment into the region,” she said.

Sinkler believes the initiative on the Illinois River, along with the multi-state effort for the Mississippi River, will be big economic development tools.

“We can work together to increase economic activity, and we can serve as a development engine from one end of the Mississippi River to the other,” he said.

With more than 100 million tons of freight shipped through the region each year, Sinkler is optimistic that global markets can be tapped into.

“This recognition will increase the profile and actually help us attract more investment from a wide variety of sources,” he said.

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