No. 14 LSU and No. 25 Mississippi State will mark the SEC’s first matchup of ranked teams this season on Saturday night in Starkville.
How to watch LSU vs. Mississippi State on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
#CLANGA
The Cowbells will be a clangin' as quarterback Dak Prescott leads the Bulldogs, fresh off beating Southern Miss, 34-16 in week one. State's senior quarterback racked up 309 combined passing and rushing yards on the night with two touchdowns through the air and another on the ground.
For LSU, this amounts to a de facto season opener after last week's home game with McNeese State was cancelled due to inclement weather. Sophomore quarterback Brandon Harris will make just his second start, again on the road. Last season saw Harris make his first start at Auburn and complete just 3 of 14 passes in a 41-7 thrashing. The Tigers will hope to ride superstar tailback Leonard Fournette, who had just seven carries for 38 yards against the Bulldogs last season.
For Mississippi State, this game is a chance to make statement that last season wasn’t a fluke and they’re still in the SEC West’s upper echelon. For LSU, it’s a chance to start off the division schedule with a bang and show that they’ll be a force in the SEC race in their own right..
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: Saturday, 9:15 p.m. ET, ESPN [or ESPNU, until Oklahoma-Tennessee ends]
Radio: LSU, Mississippi State
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Three big things to know
1. Trying to streak?
Last season’s 34-29 win in Baton Rouge broke a 14-game losing streak for Mississippi State against LSU. Can Bully make it two in a row? The Tigers have won seven straight in Wade-Davis Stadium.
2. Youth movement
LSU has made it a habit of playing freshmen early and often in recent seasons, and there’s already been a brief glimpse of that in 2015. In just 11 minutes of play against McNeese, the Tigers played five true freshmen, including starting cornerback Kevin Toliver, a five-star recruit.
3. What was old is new again
Mississippi State brought back Manny Diaz to serve as the team's defensive coordinator. Diaz was a part of Dan Mullen's staff in 2010 before Texas hired him away for an unsuccessful two-year stint. He spent 2014 at Louisiana Tech, where his defense ranked 24th in the country in yards-per-play allowed and tied for second with 114 tackles for loss.
Further reading
Get all your LSU news at And the Valley Shook, while For Whom the Cowbell Tolls has all the good news for Mississippi State fans.
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