Mississippi State will open its season in New Orleans against Louisiana and its fans can enjoy the sights and sounds of the Crescent City and all of its offerings. On the field, Joe Moorhead has much bigger problems. Following the news that 10 players will miss 8 games each this season, he must find a way to replace the depth that will be lost those weeks of the 2019 season.

Tommy Stevens will start a quarterback. It’s officially his offense.

How will he do in his debut? What will Moorhead do to quell any depth issues?

Here are 5 things we need to see in Week 1 against Louisiana.

1. Can MSU stop the RB duo of Trey Ragas and Raymond Calais?

The Bulldogs are ready to pull the trigger on freshmen Fabien Lovett and Nathan Pickering to see substantial action this season. Does that mean Kendell Jones and Lee Autry are not where they need to be? It could mean the freshmen are simply outshining the veterans. As it stands, Louisiana will rely heavily on the run as Ragas and Calais combined to rush for more than 2,000 yards and putting the spotlight on the Mississippi State defensive front.

It is vitally important MSU establishes a wall up front. The linebackers, led by Erroll Thompson, will be in good shape. In order for Thompson and Co. to succeed, the defensive front has to put pressure on the Louisiana backfield.

2. Will Nick Gibson back up Kylin Hill?

This will be the Kylin Hill show. I’ve been bullish on Hill eclipsing the 1,200-yard rushing mark this season. Keep an eye out for another running back Saturday.  Should Gibson not produce, freshman Lee Witherspoon has turned some heads this fall camp.

To be honest, Gibson has been a serviceable backup. The senior had 212 yards last season but was running with the 3rd team behind Aeris Williams. I expect he and Hill will shred the Louisiana defense, which will give Witherspoon an opportunity to get some playing time.

 3. Will Isaiah Zuber, a transfer from Kansas State, be to the go-to receiver for Stevens?

MSU had experienced receivers last season, but they struggled with drops. A new face (Zuber) could ignite the room and push junior Osirus Mitchell and senior Stephen Guidry to play better. Senior Malik Dear has not lived up to his potential as well. What was a detriment last season could be a positive if the right pieces fall into place. Two young players I am interested in seeing are sophomore Devonta Jason and redshirt freshman Cameron Gardner.

4. Who is QB2?

With the departure of Keytaon Thompson, if something happens to Stevens, MSU will be depending on freshmen to shoulder the load in Garrett Shrader and Jalen Mayden. Shrader is listed as the backup, but the separation between them is miniscule. It was a tough blow to lose Thompson when he entered the transfer portal. The door for his return, however, is not closed. He has an opportunity to rejoin the team.

The questions then begin, how did the locker room react to a graduate transfer coming in and take a starting role away from a junior who has waited his turn?

Those are valid concerns and should be noted. There should be no surprise Thompson has been courted into possibly coming back.

5. How has Moorhead adapted offensively from last fall?

There is no doubt, he was swimming early in the season last year with Nick Fitzgerald at quarterback. By underutilizing Fitz and running back Kylin Hill, it cost him in losses to Kentucky and Florida.

There shouldn’t be much of a learning curve with Stevens. He recruited him and is familiar with his skills, and Stevens is familiar with Moorhead and the system. I expect this season to go much differently early. Again, should the wide receivers elevate their game and provide a baseline of productivity, the offense will be really good. I stand by the fact the offensive line is one of the best in the conference.

The first 4 games will give Moorhead and the offense a chance to mesh well. Should that equal productivity, MSU should be undefeated heading into Auburn.