Mississippi State football vs. South Carolina: Kickoff time, TV channel announced

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football’s trip to South Carolina on Sept. 23 will feature a 6:30 p.m. kickoff. The game will air on SEC Network.

This will mark MSU’s first game in Columbia since 2013, when the Bulldogs lost 34-16. Among the 16 all-time matchups in the series, South Carolina has won nine. However, MSU was victorious in the most recent meeting, winning 27-14 in Starkville in 2016.

Mississippi State (2-0) is off to a strong start in the Zach Arnett era after taking down FCS foe Southeastern Louisiana in Week 1 and beating Arizona in Week 2. MSU, as it transitions from Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense to Kevin Barbay’s more balanced attacked, is second in the SEC with 443 rushing yards − trailing only Tennessee. The Bulldogs are led by running back Jo’Quavious Marks, who leads the SEC with 250 yards.

South Carolina (1-1) bounced back from a Week 1 loss against North Carolina with a 47-21 win against Furman. Shane Beamer is in his third season as the Gamecocks’ coach. During his tenure, South Carolina is 11-4 at Williams–Brice Stadium.

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MSU and South Carolina open SEC play this weekend. Mississippi State plays host to No. 14 LSU on Saturday (11 a.m., ESPN) and South Carolina plays at No. 1 Georgia (2:30 p.m., CBS).

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.