ESPN’s FPI projects winner of Mississippi State vs. Minnesota Week 2 game
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Mississippi State saw Kamario Taylor get the 2026 season off to a flying start, as he threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns in a 62-13 rout of UL Monroe in Week 1.
In Week 2, the Bulldogs head up north to Minnesota, where the Golden Gophers await after a season-opening win against Eastern Illinois. Saturday marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
A look at ESPN’s FPI reveals that this could be a relatively close one. But the Bulldogs have been given the edge. The latest projections have given them a 59.1 percent chance of coming away with a win.
Mississippi State enters 2026 with head coach Jeff Lebby squarely on the hot seat. After a 2-10 mark in 2024, the Bulldogs started 2025 with a 4-0 record but went just 1-8 in their final nine games. Their only SEC win was a 38-35 victory over Arkansas.
Meanwhile, Minnesota is entering Year 10 of the PJ Fleck era. The Golden Gophers have played to identical 8-5 records in 2024 and 2025 while winning their last seven bowl appearances.
Darius Taylor ran for three touchdowns against Eastern Illinois, but the headlines belonged to Javon Tracy. The fifth-year senior returned two punts for touchdowns while adding five catches for a game-high 98 yards.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
