Here’s everything you need to know about the first meeting between Mississippi State and Southern Miss in 24 years tonight.

When: Tonight
Where: Starkville, Mississippi
Game Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Current Line: Mississippi State (-31.5)

Game Buzz: Mississippi State is entering its most highly anticipated season of the Dan Mullen era this year, with star quarterback Dak Prescott preparing for his first full season as the starter under center. Southern Miss has just one win over the last two seasons, but will give MSU all its got when the two teams renew this in-state rivalry in Starkville.

Saturday Down South previews

MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS

Players to watch:

  • QB Dak Prescott
  • RB Josh Robinson
  • WR Jameon Lewis
  • TE Malcolm Johnson
  • DT Chris Jones
  • LB Benardrick McKinney
  • CB Jamerson Love
  • CB Taveze Calhoun

Keys for Mississippi State:

  • Get Dak Prescott into a rhythm early in the game. Mullen should set his quarterback up with some easy throws on the first drive, helping calm his nerves as he begins his first season as the face of the Bulldogs’ program. Perhaps even calling a designed run for Prescott could be beneficial, as it would open things up for the rest of the offense over the course of the game.
  • Run the ball. Southern Miss ranked 25th against the pass last season but 113th against the run. The Bulldogs may not have chosen a right tackle (that we know of) to replace the injured Damien Robinson, but their offensive line remains much bigger and stronger than the Golden Eagles’ defensive front. Mullen’s offenses are known for producing 1,000-yard tailbacks, and Josh Robinson could be the next to accomplish the feat. Mississippi State won’t need style points in this one; if it executes what it does best, it should win this game with ease.
  • Play aggressive on defense. The Bulldogs have the noisy, cowbell-loving home crowd on their side in addition to returning eight defensive starters from last season. The MSU defense needs to force the issue against a Southern Miss offense that struggled to move the ball for a lot of last season. If the Bulldogs play aggressive and make USM force the issue, they should be in good shape.

Bulldogs’ glaring weakness to watch: Lack of a replacement for Robinson at right tackle. This weakness may not be exposed against Southern Miss, but it will certainly be evaluated. It may be Mullen’s intention to keep his new right tackle a secret, or he may simply be out of answers in filling out the right side of the line. Regardless, the rest of the SEC will eventually watch the tape to see how MSU’s right tackle performs, and any weaknesses on the right side could come back to haunt the Bulldogs in SEC play later this season.

Most interesting part of the game: The Bulldogs may have a full-fledged kicking competition during tonight’s action, if the circumstances permit it. In addition to right tackle, Mullen and the MSU coaches have yet to decide on a primary place kicker. The head coach said earlier this week that his two contenders – Evan Sobiesk and Westin Graves – may alternate during the game to assess how each performs in a packed stadium during a live game. Place kickers are rarely the center of attention unless a game is on the line in the final minutes, but tonight’s game might be an exception.

Team Buzz: Mississippi State returns 16 starters from last season and could post its best record of the Dan Mullen era. The Bulldogs are among the most experienced teams in the SEC, and tonight’s opener will be an opportunity for them to show what they’ll be capable of this season. Growth from players like Prescott, Jameon Lewis, Chris Jones and others will be evaluated against Southern Miss, and if the reviews are good this team could put the rest of its 2014 opponents on notice.

SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES

Players to watch:

  • QB Nick Mullens
  • RB Jalen Richard
  • WR Markese Triplett
  • DE Dasman McCullum
  • LB David Bertucci
  • S Emmanuel Johnson

Keys for Southern Miss:

  • Spread the ball around. Mullens returns from a shaky 2013 campaign during which he split time under center with the since-graduated Allan Bridgford. However, the Golden Eagles return many of their top receivers from a year ago, including Triplett, which could help Mullens get comfortable against a talented Bulldogs defense. The more players Mullen can get the ball to, the more weapons MSU must focus on at one time, making its defense work on Southern Miss’ terms.
  • Limit the sloppy mistakes. Southern Miss is an underdog in this game for a reason, but the Golden Eagles need to make Mississippi State beat them rather than beating themselves. It is easier said than done, but USM cannot fall victim to the crowd noise by committing a handful of false starts the way Ole Miss and Boise State did in Atlanta Thursday night. Mullens must avoid telegraphing passes that turn into easy interceptions, and the Golden Eagles secondary must restrain itself from drive-extending pass interference calls down the field.

Golden Eagles’ glaring weakness to watch: The entire Southern Miss lineup has been a weakness at one point or another during the last two seasons, posting a 1-23 record over that span. Different players have shown flashes of capability since the start of the 2012 season, but USM also lost a handful of starters from last season including its leading rusher, leading tackler and best pass rusher.

Most interesting part of the game: The Golden Eagles will make the trip from Hattiesburg to Starkville for the first time since the 1990 season, and fans of both teams are amped for this rivalry to be renewed. Certain individual matchups could get intense on the field between players from opposing sidelines who were teammates or rivals during their high school days. A decent contingency of Southern Miss fans should be in the stands for this one, and the crowd could become as fun to watch as the game itself. Mississippi State should win in a blowout, but few projected blowouts have this many storylines before kickoff.

Team Buzz: There’s nowhere to go but up for Southern Miss, which won its final game of the 2013 season to snap a 23-game losing streak dating back to 2012. Even if the Golden Eagles fall to Mississippi tonight, the game could still be a success. There isn’t a team in Conference USA with as much talent as MSU, and if Southern Miss is able to show signs of growth from last season, the buzz surrounding this program will grow twice as loud.