Mississippi
What to watch for: Mississippi State vs. Southern Miss
Following a 51-10 loss at Texas A&M last week — and the firing of head coach Zach Arnett — Mississippi State is back home Saturday as the Bulldogs host Southern Miss for an 11 a.m. kickoff on ESPN+ and SEC Network Plus.
The Golden Eagles lost seven straight games earlier in the season but have won their last two, including a dramatic overtime win last week on the road over Louisiana. Star running back Frank Gore Jr. rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries, including the game-winner in overtime. Southern Miss tied the game on a touchdown pass from Ethan Crawford to Jakarius Caston with less than two minutes remaining.
What: Southern Miss at Mississippi State
When: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville
TV: ESPN+ and SEC Network Plus
Betting line: Mississippi State by 14
Weather: Mostly sunny skies with a high of 64 degrees and winds out of the north at 8 miles per hour, per AccuWeather
Records/rankings: MSU is 4-6 and 1-6 in Southeastern Conference play. The Golden Eagles are 3-7 and 2-5 against Sun Belt Conference opponents. Neither team is ranked or receiving votes in any of the polls.
Series history: Mississippi State leads 15-14 with one tie. The in-state foes have met three times in the last decade, with the Bulldogs winning all three, but had not played before that since 1990. The Golden Eagles’ last win over MSU came in 1988.
Mississippi State update: So, about that elephant in the room. The Bulldogs fired Arnett after 11 games as head coach, naming senior offensive analyst Greg Knox interim head coach for the rest of the season. Knox was also MSU’s interim head coach during his previous stint in Starkville at the end of the 2017 season, when he coached the Bulldogs to a bowl win after Dan Mullen left to take the head coaching position at Florida.
Prior to his firing, Arnett had suggested that starting quarterback Will Rogers could return this week. Rogers has missed the last four games with a left shoulder injury, and MSU has scored a total of 33 points in that span, with no offensive touchdowns in the last two games.
Southern Miss update: Following a 55-3 loss to South Alabama in mid-October, Golden Eagles coach Will Hall gave up offensive play-calling duties, and Southern Miss has averaged 32 points per game in three contests since then. Star running back Frank Gore Jr. has been on an absolute tear in those three games, rushing for 637 yards and five touchdowns.
The Golden Eagles have dealt with numerous injuries in the defensive backfield, forcing two offensive players to switch to cornerback, but are strong up front defensively, making a pair of goal-line stands against Louisiana.
Southern Miss players to watch: QB Billy Wiles, RB Frank Gore Jr., WR Jakarius Kaston, LB Jalil Clemons, S Jay Stanley.
Prediction: As bad as MSU has looked in its last three games, the Bulldogs have more talent than Southern Miss. They’ll rally behind Knox and keep their postseason hopes alive. Mississippi State 23, Southern Miss 13.
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