Mississippi State, Lebby begin new chapter against an EKU squad seeking first win vs. SEC

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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