Eastern Kentucky at Mississippi State, Saturday, 6 p.m. ET (SEC+, ESPN+)

BetMGM College Football Odds: No line.

Series: First meeting.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Jeff Lebby begins as Mississippi State’s third head coach in as many seasons, aiming to lift the Bulldogs from a 5-6 finish in 2023 that included the firing of Zach Arnett after starting 4-6. Eastern Kentucky seeks its first win against a Southeastern Conference in nine tries and its first against an FBS team since beating Bowling Green 59-57 in a seven-overtime thriller two years ago, which tied for the second longest game in Division I history.

KEY MATCHUP

MSU’s offense vs. EKU’s defense. The Bulldogs have switched from a pro-set scheme to the spread offense under Lebby, the former Oklahoma coordinator, who will call plays. MSU averaged 328.6 yards per game last season to rank 101st in FBS. More important is how 11 new starters will execute that system with former Texas Tech quarterback Blake Shapen debuting behind center. The Colonels are more experienced by comparison but face a huge challenge slowing down MSU after yielding 476.4 yards per game in 2023 and ranking 120th of 122 FCS teams.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

EKU quarterback Matt Morrissey succeeds longtime signal caller Parker McKinney and is entrusted to maintain a potent Colonels offense that ranked eighth in FCS at 437.4 yards per game last season. The Western Illinois transfer threw for 1,981 yards and 13 TDs in 2023 and earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honorable mention honors.

Shapen takes over behind center for record-setter Will Rogers, who transferred to Washington. Shapen battled injuries but passed for 5,574 yards and 36 touchdowns in three seasons at Baylor and helped the Bears win the Big 12 Conference championship game three years ago.

FACTS & FIGURES

EKU has one of the nation’s top kickers in senior Patrick Nations, a preseason All-American selection who tied for first in FCS with 1.73 field goals per game with a 76% conversion rate. … The Colonels went 5-4 against FCS foes with an average point differential of 4.8 per contest. … MSU has won seven consecutive openers since 2017, including three in a row at home. … The Bulldogs have 18 “super seniors” who will begin with an extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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A new collaboration between the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Murphy Library and those with a wide-range of information about the Upper Mississippi River has formed.

University officials announced the start of the Driftless River Initiative this summer.

The initiative aims to grow an online collection related to all thing’s river — from maps and scientific studies to wildlife and culture.

“We have loads of material, books and maps and historical images that relate to the Upper Mississippi River and the Driftless Region because of the proximity of the university,” said David Mindel, digital collections librarian at Murphy Library.

“It made sense in my mind to get the word out by harnessing the power in numbers we have and how they relate in different ways to the river and the region,” he added.

The library already has hundreds of images of steamboats that have been on the river and journals from a prominent bird watcher.

“It’s my hope that the material not only becomes more accessible through this initiative, but new knowledge is created in the end, connecting dots that have not been connected,” Mindel said.

Much of the material already collected dates back a century or more, including scientific agricultural work that relates to the Coon Creek watershed in nearby Vernon County. It was the country’s first soil and water conservation district more than 90 years ago.   

“One collection leads to another,” Mindel said. “If you continue to add to this group of materials, it attracts more. That’s what we are seeing happening here.”

Recent donations have come from the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge and the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, which dropped more than 70 boxes of historical studies, scientific reports and other river materials off at the library.

Mindel said 95 percent of the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, or UMRCC, donations have been digitized and are searchable online.

UMRCC is made up of habitat managers from five states along the Upper Mississippi River: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.

Jeff Janvrin recently retired after nearly 35 years as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Mississippi River habitat specialist. He’s also served in a variety of positions with UMRCC.

“When I started my career, you didn’t search Google for a document. You reached out to the author and asked for a copy, and they’d send it to you in the mail,” Janvrin said.

“Nowadays, if it isn’t digital or easily accessible via the internet, it’s quickly forgotten that people even worked on that,” he added.

The 2024 Mississippi State football season kicks-off this Saturday, and our contributors here at Maroon and White Nation got together to preview the season. Chase Brumfield, Reed Green, and Andrew Miller answered a long series of questions to give their takes on the team.

First they discussed Jeff Lebby’s new-look offense. Then, they dove into a somewhat questionable Bulldog defense. Now, they’re breaking down the schedule.

Mississippi State plays a very difficult schedule this year with trips to Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Ole Miss. They’ll also face ranked Texas A&M and Missouri squads in Starkville. That’s going to be tough to get through!

But the non-conference slate of Eastern Kentucky, at Arizona State, Toledo, and UMass should be manageable, as State will be favorites in all four games. And with tossup games against Florida and Arkansas in Starkville, finding a path to a bowl isn’t out of the question.

How does the Maroon and White Nation team feel about the Bulldogs’ schedule? Here are thoughts on State’s draw, some of their biggest games, and their official record predictions for the 2024 season…

Mississippi State plays one of the most difficult schedules in the country, facing six preseason ranked teams. But the non-conference slate seems manageable, and they get some winnable SEC games at home. Can they navigate this slate enough to have a successful year (however you define success)?

Chase: I don’t think State can navigate this challenging schedule without difficulties. State must stay sharp consistently, or opponents will take advantage. However, this experience will prepare them for next season. The adversity they face this year will be crucial in determining their success in future seasons.

Reed: I think they can navigate their conference schedule this season. They have winnable games at home versus Florida and Arkansas, and they get Missouri and Texas A&M at home too. If they go 2-2 in this stretch, then this would be a successful first season in conference play.

Andrew: It’s a brutal schedule for a brand new team, but they could find a way to work through it to a successful year. The non-conference games are very winnable and they get a pair of toss-up SEC games at home. If they can come together quickly enough to pull off those wins, they could find a way to a bowl.

What is the most important game on MSU’s 2024 schedule?

Chase: The most important game on MSU’s 2024 schedule is against Ole Miss. This enduring rivalry carries significant stakes. A defining win over Ole Miss in Lebby’s first year would provide a major boost and offer a lot for the Bulldogs to look forward to.

Reed: Arizona State. If they win this, I believe 6-6 and even 7-5 is on the table for them. If they lose this game then they will have to upset somebody to make a bowl game.

Andrew: Florida. Beating the Gators would likely mean State would be 4-0 with UMass and a beatable Arkansas team left on the schedule. That’s a clear path to a bowl game. Lose to Florida, and now a major upset is necessary to find six wins.

If the Bulldogs were to spring a major upset this fall, in which game do you see that as being most likely?

Chase: The Bulldogs have a chance to pull off an upset in their home game against Mizzou on November 23rd. Mizzou could be vulnerable at this point in the season. With nothing to lose, State has an opportunity to surprise Mizzou if they’re not fully focused.

Reed: Texas A&M. They are still super talented, but they also have a new head coach taking over for them. State has also been successful at home versus the Aggies since they joined the SEC. Every single time, Texas A&M has had a more successful team, but they’ve only won twice in 2012 and 2020 in Starkville.

Andrew: I’ll echo Chase and say Mizzou. The Tigers seem to be a regression candidate in 2024 with the losses suffered on defense. The schedule sets up favorably for State in this game too, so if a big upset is to be had, it’s most likely to come vs Mizzou.

What are your overall expectations for MSU football this year? Not a record prediction (we’ll get to that shortly) but simply what you expect to see of the team on the field. 

Chase: My overall expectation for MSU football this year, specifically on the field, is that it will be different. A new wave of excitement is in the air for Stark Vegas, which will translate to improved performance on the field. This momentum will carry into next season and beyond.

Reed: I expect to see an exciting offense that will move the ball in almost every game, if not every game. I think Shapen will surprise people with his strong arm and quarterback play. I also expect the defense to be about what they always are at State, with the exception of 2018, and that is a bend but don’t break defense.

Andrew: If nothing else, I’m expecting the Bulldogs to be entertaining. The offense should be a ton of fun and keep them in games. I’ve made it clear I’m low on the defense, but that just means playing lots of shootouts which are fun! Beyond wins and losses, the product on the field should be worth tuning in for, which is an improvement for the program.

Alright the time has come to make your official prediction for the 2024 Mississippi State football season. Give us the Bulldogs’ final record, both overall and in SEC play. 

Chase: I predict the Bulldog’s final record will be 5-7 and 2-6 (SEC) for the 2024 season.

Reed: My final prediction for Mississippi State is 5-7 overall and 1-7 in the conference.

Andrew: Well I was hoping at least one person would be optimistic enough to predict State bowling, so we weren’t total pessimists. But I too have MSU 5-7 (1-7 SEC). I think they’ll win their non-conference games but split the UF and Arkansas games. I won’t rule out winning both nor would I rule out them springing a big upset. But I’ll go safe on the prediction and say they just miss a bowl in year one despite being clearly improved.