As Mississippi State gets set to open up its season on the road against Southern Mississippi, Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen gave his weekly press conference to address the state of the team.

Here are some notes and highlights from Mullen’s press conference this afternoon:

  • Many are picking Mississippi State to finish toward the bottom of the SEC West after finishing second last year. Mullen expects much more from his team but admitted it’s hard to evaluate the overall talent of his squad until he gets to see them against another team, which he’ll get the chance to do Saturday.
  • No team captains have been named yet for the Bulldogs but Mullen said they plan to do so later this week. However, an 11-member leadership council has been elected.
  • Mullen was asked about the backfield and Ashton Shumpert being the lead back. Mullen said the biggest thing will be seeing how Shumpert handles the transition from backup to starter but added that he’s like what he’s seen from his group of running backs as a whole.
  • On defense, Mullen expressed confidence and said the Bulldogs “will be ready to play” on that side of the ball come Saturday. He also had some nice things to say about how he enjoys working with defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and has been impressed with his growth as a coach.
  • Mullen also used his time at the podium to give an injury update. And as of now, all things health related look good for the Bulldogs.