Mississippi State football kicks off the 2025 season down in Hattiesburg against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Saturday. How can the Bulldogs open the year with a win? Here are three keys to victory...
Mississippi State must dominate the line of scrimmage
No key to the game is bigger than this one. MSU still has some questions in the trenches entering this season, but they should have a significant edge along the lines in this game. Size, talent, and depth all favor the Bulldogs, and they've got more experience there too. There's no reason MSU shouldn't be able to run the ball successfully against the USM front, and the MSU defensive line should create plenty of problems for the Golden Eagles. If the Bulldogs win the battle in the trenches, it'll be difficult for them to not leave Hattiesburg with a win.
Mississippi State must limit explosive plays on defense
If there's a concern when facing the USM offense, it's the big play potential. QB Braylon Braxton is a dynamic play-maker, and he's got some talented WRs to throw to. While it may be tough for Southern Miss to find consistent gains against a more talented MSU defense, explosive plays are how they can give themselves a chance. If you're State you've got to force the Golden Eagles to earn it on Saturday and not give them easy yardage down field. Allowing a few big plays isn't the end of the world. I'd expect USM to hit some. But State cannot allow them to find regular explosives because that's the clearest way for the Golden Eagles to keep pace with the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State must play clean football offensively
While USM could end up being pretty good defensively, State should have a sizeable advantage when those units are on the field considering what they have in Blake Shapen at QB, their skill talent, and a physical OL. You would expect the Bulldogs to find plenty of success moving the ball and scoring points. The exception to that would be if they get in their own was with dumb mistakes. Penalties, turnovers, and negative plays resulting from poor execution are how MSU fails to put points on the board and how they let USM stay in it. State needs a clean operation to open the season.