Week 1 of the 2025 college football season is here. The Mississippi State Bulldogs kickoff their season down in Hattiesburg against an in-state opponent in the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at 11:00 a.m. CT. With just a few hours until kickoff, here's a look at the final odds, injury report, and score prediction.
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Southern Miss Golden Eagles odds, point spread and total
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Odds are subject to change
Spread
- Mississippi State -14.5 (-106)
- Southern Miss +14.5 (-114)
Moneyline
- Mississippi State -610
- Southern Miss +440
Total
- 61.5 (Over -105/Under -115)
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Southern Miss Golden Eagles injury report
As of Saturday morning, there's no significant injury or suspension news of note for either Mississippi State or Southern Miss. We do know that the Bulldogs will likely be without reserve sophomore defensive lineman Kai McClendon, who appears to still be working his way back from an injury suffered in the spring. But to this point, we do not know of any starters or key rotational players that won't suit up for the matchup.
10:00 a.m. CT Update: Mississippi State sophomore offensive lineman Luke Work is not dressed out and has a boot on his right foot in the pregame. Work made seven starts as a true freshman in 2024 and was listed a potential starter at left guard on the Bulldogs' initial depth chart. Senior Jacoby Jackon, who made 11 starts last season, looks poised to go for MSU at LG.
10:20 a.m. CT Update: Mississippi State junior cornerback Jett Jefferson is not dressed out and is rolling on a scooter in the pregame. The JUCO transfer had a strong preseason camp and was listed as a potential starter on the initial depth chart. Senior DeAgo Brumfield is the most likely option to fill-in.
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Southern Miss Golden Eagles score prediction
This is an interesting early season matchup given how much is new for both teams. The Bulldogs brought in a strong transfer class to lead a turnaround for Jeff Lebby's second season at the helm, and for Southern Miss, Charles Huff has practically imported a new roster to kickoff his tenure.
State should be much stronger along the lines of scrimmage compared to where they were a season ago, and they should have the edge there against the Golden Eagle fronts. Expect the Bulldogs to find plenty of success running the ball and limiting USM's own run game. That should be enough for MSU to have a big day offensively and pull away for a win.
That said, State has some questions on the backend of the defense, and the Golden Eagles have a great playmaker at QB in Braylon Braxton and a good group of wideouts. Southern Miss should be able to hit some big plays to put points on the board. This game should be competitive throughout, but the Bulldogs ultimately get the late scores needed to win comfortably.
Mississippi State Bulldogs win 41-23