Mississippi State has been one of the emerging threats on the national radar following a blow out road victory over Minnesota. Now the Bulldogs take their 2-0 record into Columbia, South Carolina for a matchup against Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks. What challenges should the staff and fans be on the lookout for? We take a look.

Jeff Lebby is entering year three as the Bulldogs head coach and appears to have a team that can be a significant threat in this league for 2026. There are two things the Gamecocks should be on the lookout for and both happens to be on the side of the ball Lebby calls plays on.

Super Kamario Is Becoming a Star

True sophomore Kamario Taylor is quickly emerging as one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC. He has a rocket for an arm and the ability to make plays with his legs. Through two games this season, Taylor is completing 67.9 percent of his passes for 581 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception. This offense is built to threat teams vertically and as you can see in the video below, Taylor has the capability to do just that.

This is week one against Louisiana Monroe. Taylor is able to step up into the pocket and deliver a near 60-yard bomb in stride to his wide receiver Marquis Johnson for the score. In the next video, we see Taylor’s ability to make plays on the run. Here you will see a roll out off play action and a quick released laser to Anthony Evans III, the team’s leading receiver.

South Carolina’s defense will have to be focused this weekend if they want to limit Taylor and this offense. He can hit every throw in the book and make you pay with his legs. Good news for Clayton White and this defense is that they see a similar star at the quarterback position every week in LaNorris Sellers. If anyone can get this team ready for a player like Taylor, it’s Sellers.

As good as this offense is throwing the ball downfield, it’s surprisingly still a very balanced attack. All the highlights make you believe this team is only interested in throwing the ball, however Lebby has a big focus on running the rock as well.

South Carolina’s Rushing Defense Will be Tested

Three Bulldogs have accounted for over 100 rushing yards this season. Junior running back Fluff Bothwell leads the team on the ground so far this season with 165 yards, followed by Taylor with 145 yards, and freshman J.J. Hill with 118. Those three have also combined for five touchdowns on the year.

As a team, Mississippi State averages nearly 300 yards per game on the ground, 7.2 yards per carry, and three touchdowns. Last week against Minnesota on the road, the Bulldogs came away with 252 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

This team if anything likes to run the ball more. As you can see above, Mississippi State ran the ball 83 times while only throwing it 64 times. In this conference, you have to be able to run the ball and stop the run. Easier said than done when talking about the overall depth of the SEC, but if the Gamecocks are to come away with a win on Saturday they must stop the run and force the Bulldogs to be one dimensional.

PEARL, Miss. (WLBT) – A Mississippi nonprofit that helps veterans in crisis received a $200,000 community grant from Lowe’s, but the group cannot use the money until it owns a building.

Fifth Squad, a veteran-led nonprofit, has been helping veterans since 2016 by paying rent, utilities and groceries for those in crisis. The organization said it now needs a permanent home of its own.

Fifth Squad was founded in 2016 by four Mississippi Army National Guardsmen from the 184th Sustainment Command. The group started after the guardsmen personally “passed the hat” for a fellow soldier facing a utility shutoff and grew frustrated with red tape at other organizations.

The nonprofit serves honorably discharged and currently serving veterans. Fifth Squad is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Mississippi, operating as the “Alpha” chapter for a planned national network. Fifth Squad’s Lee Stringer said the organization is notable for lasting 10 years, since most nonprofits don’t last beyond five or six years. Fifth Squad has an all-veteran board, and Stringer has 26 years of service.

“In 2016, we didn’t need anything,” Stringer said. “I mean, we did everything from an email or a phone call or something like that, right? And as we progress, we’ve gotten bigger and bigger, which means we’ve got more members, which means we’ve got more programs.”

Lowe’s surprised Fifth Squad with the $200,000 community grant. The money will help renovate a permanent headquarters in Pearl, but the group first needs a down payment.

Fifth Squad is asking for $14,000. A GoFundMe campaign shows the group is almost to that goal. The new building would take Fifth Squad from 600 square feet to 5,000 square feet.

Fifth Squad is under contract on the roughly 5,000-square-foot building in Pearl. The expansion would allow the group to add several programs: Back to the Barracks, a camaraderie and events program; Pack to Purpose, an outdoor coping program; Veterans Disability Claims Assistance, offering free help filing VA claims; and Hearts Behind the Barracks, support for spouses and families.

Stringer said the group won’t slow down helping veterans in order to reach that goal.

“I don’t think that we’re really who we say we are if we pause everything so that we can get to one place,” Stringer said. “You know, we want to be able to slow down what we can and cut down on some things. But at the same time, if a veteran still has that need, I can’t turn them away because of something that we’re trying to get down the road.”

Fifth Squad runs a Quick Reaction Funds program that pays vendors directly for rent, utility and grocery bills. The organization does not give cash to veterans. Veterans must provide proof of service and proof of need before Fifth Squad pays a vendor on their behalf.

Five Veteran Assistance Requests came in on the day of the interview alone. Fifth Squad described that volume as a daily occurrence.

Stringer is asking the public for help.

“They signed on the dotted line, whether it be 60 years ago or yesterday, and they did that on their own,” Stringer said. “They took on that ownership of saying, you know what, I want to serve my country. If you can just help out a little bit and say thank you to them.”

Those who want to help Fifth Squad reach its goal can go to GoFundMe. A transparency page shows how donations are spent. Fifth Squad’s Veterans Night event is scheduled for Thursday.

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