Towards the end of the Tigers' schedule, they'll travel to Starkville to take on newcomer Mississippi State, who have a new quarterback, new receivers, a brand new nucleus of an offensive line and new additions on defense.
Most notable is the addition of head coach Jeff Levy, an Oklahoma native who served as the Sooners' offensive coordinator.
The Bulldogs went 5-7 last year with their best wins being against Arizona and Arkansas. Matchups with the likes of Florida, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee and Ole Miss won't be easy for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs may sink to the bottom of the SEC unless they surprise people with their newly restructured roster. Let's take a look at the Bulldogs this year.
Mississippi State will have a new face at the quarterback position. Former Baylor Bears guard Blake Shapen will be the Bulldogs' starter next season. He threw for 2,188 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions. If he is injured, Chris Person would be the next in line.
The running back position is also a question mark, but senior Jeffrey Pittman is the best returner. Last season, he rushed 54 times for 268 yards and one touchdown. He'll have to improve significantly to help the Bulldogs' offense. They also have senior Keyvon Lee as Pittman's backup.
Their receiving corps is primarily made up of two transfers. The Bulldogs added former Louisville wide receiver Kevin Coleman, a former four-star recruit who committed to Jackson State and who had 362 receiving yards and two interceptions. The other newcomer is Kelly Akalai'i, who was UTEP's leading receiver last season with 1,033 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. They join returning receivers Creed Whitmore, Jaeden Worley and Jordan Mosley. The Bulldogs lost their two best receivers last season when Justin Robinson transferred to West Virginia and Xavion Thomas transferred to Louisiana State.
The Bulldogs' leading tackler returning and a candidate for defensive leader of the year is safety Corey Ellington, who recorded 66 tackles and two sacks last year. The next leading tackler is linebacker JP Purvis, who recorded 39 tackles last year.
Perhaps the Bulldogs' biggest addition through the transfer portal this season is former University of South Carolina recruit Stone Blanton, a former four-star linebacker who recorded 52 tackles and one sack last year for the Gamecocks.
Mississippi State also added transfers Slamane Kpaka and Kedrick Bingley-Jones to the defensive line. Kpaka recorded 10 tackles last season for the Purdue Boilermakers, while Bingley-Jones recorded two tackles last year at North Carolina.
This is the penultimate game of the season for the Tigers. It should be one of the easier games on the SEC schedule. Missouri should win no matter what. It's crucial that they win this game and keep their hopes alive to keep their playoff hopes alive.
date: November 23
time: Afternoon time slot (2:30pm – 3:30pm)
position: Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi
Series History: 2-2 draw
Last meeting: December 19, 2020: The Bulldogs jumped out to a 27-10 lead after the second quarter and quickly got into the game. Will Rogers passed for 295 yards and three touchdowns to lead Mississippi State to a 51-32 victory. It was the Tigers' final loss of the season and they fell to 5-5.
Head Coach: Jeff Levy is the new head coach at Mississippi State University.
Offensive Coordinator: N/A
Defensive Coordinator: Former Memphis defensive coordinator Matt Barnes
2023 Record: 5-7 (2-6)
Biggest question: Where will Mississippi State's offensive power be this year?
National Championships: 0
Conference Championships: 1 (1941)
Bowl Records: 15-11
Last bowl appearance: 2022 – ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Illinois 19-10 win
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