Mississippi State opens the 2026 season at home Sept. 5 with a matchup that should tell the Bulldogs plenty about where they stand early under Jeff Lebby.
Louisiana-Monroe comes to Davis Wade Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPNU, and this is the first game of Lebby’s third season after Mississippi State went 5-8 in 2025. Kamario Taylor is in line to be the new starting quarterback, and former MSU coach Zach Arnett has been brought in as defensive coordinator.
On paper, this looks like a mismatch from the jump.
ULM finished 3-9 last season after going 5-7 in Bryant Vincent’s first year, and the Warhawks were picked to finish last in the Sun Belt West Division in the preseason coaches poll. They also have not posted a winning record since 2012. Alabama blew them out 73-0 a year ago, and Mississippi State should have a clear edge across the board.
The one caveat for Bulldogs fans is still sitting in the back of their minds: that 41-17 home loss to Toledo in 2024. But that game looks like the exception, not the rule, and this one should not be close.
If things go according to plan, Taylor may not be needed beyond the third quarter.
ULM is expected to start Aidan Armenta at quarterback, according to ESPN. Armenta made 11 starts last season and threw for 1,629 yards with 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Mississippi State does bring back some important pieces. Fluff Bothwell returns as the starting running back, and wide receiver Anthony Evans III could be set up for a big season as he chases Brenen Thompson’s single-season receiving record.
The Bulldogs also have to get answers up front, because the offensive and defensive lines remain two areas worth watching. ULM won’t be the same test Mississippi State will face in the SEC, or even in the next game against Minnesota, but it should offer the first real read on those units.
The Warhawks do have a few bright spots of their own. Linebacker Noah Flemmings is back after leading the team in tackles and tackles for loss, and offensive tackle AJ Vinson returns as well. Even with the preseason projection near the bottom of the league, ULM had a player on offense and defense land on the preseason All-Sun Belt first teams.
Special teams was a mess for the Warhawks last season, largely because of kicker injuries. They attempted only seven field goals and made two. That situation is expected to be much better in 2026.
There is no official injury report for the game. Mississippi State’s first injury report will come in Week 3.
Prediction: Mississippi State 41, ULM 7. Taylor hits Sanfrisco Magee for a deep touchdown on the opening drive, Bothwell adds two rushing scores, and Will Whitson comes away with 1.5 sacks in his return from injury.
In Other News...
Louisville Fans Just Landed In A College Football Debate Nobody Saw Coming
A new study has given college football fans another thing to argue about, and Mississippi State supporters are right at the center of it. Covers analyzed thousands of Reddit posts to measure profanity and negative sentiment across fanbases, then turned the results into a Vulgarity Score that put Mississippi State at the top with a perfect 10.00, just ahead of Arkansas. Louisville and Wyoming also showed up near the top of the list, giving the report a little extra fuel for anyone who likes ranking fan behavior as much as ranking teams.
The bigger takeaway is less about one school than the tone of the whole sport online, where conference-level profanity averages were also part of the study. For Mississippi State, the result adds another odd distinction to a fan base already known for intensity, while Sacramento State was pegged as the least vulgar group in the sample. Whether anyone agrees with the methodology is almost beside the point, because the fun here is in the debate itself, and college football fans never need much encouragement for that. [Read more 🡒]