Mississippi State expected to get 2 starters back from injury vs. Arizona State, per report
Published:
Mississippi State is expected to get some reinforcements back along the line of scrimmage on Saturday night against No. 12 Arizona State.
According to a report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, starting offensive lineman Luke Work and starting defensive lineman Jamil Burroughs are set to return for Mississippi State in the primetime showdown in Starkville. The Bulldogs will need all the help they can get in the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN2, facing Sun Devils star quarterback Sam Leavitt, who led Arizona State to the Big 12 title last year.
Despite the reported return of Work and Burroughs, Mississippi State still won’t be at full strength, according to Thamel. The Bulldogs are expected to be without starting right tackle Blake Steen and cornerback Jett Jefferson. Steen played over 40 snaps during the Bulldogs’ Week 1 victory at Southern Miss but is reportedly out against Arizona State, while Jefferson remains out after missing the season opener.
So, for a Mississippi State team that’s desperate for a statement win early in the season, it’s apparently a case of one step forward and one step back as far as having all of their starters on the field at the same time.
ESPN’s FPI is giving Mississippi State a solid 45.9% chance to pull the home upset in primetime and improve to 2-0.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
