t’s the Magnolia State Roundup, a weekly look-around of who’s playing when and where in college football around Mississippi.

 

Three new head coaches have already debuted this week, beginning on Wednesday when first year Mississippi College head coach Mike Kershaw and his Choctaws lost 29-5 to Shorter on the road.

 

On Thursday, Belhaven and Milsaps renewed their annual rivalry game known as the Riverside Rumble. First year Millsaps head coach Brandon Lechtenberg and his Majors beat first year Belhaven head coach CJ Nightingale and his Blazers 23-21. The victory for Millsaps broke a three-game winning streak in the series for Belhaven.

 

All times Central Standard unless otherwise noted.

 

Mississippi State at Arizona State, Tempe, Az.

ESPN, 9:30 p.m.

The Jeff Lebby era got off to a solid start last weekend in Starkville with a 56-7 pounding of poor Eastern Kentucky on a rainy day.

 

Arizona State went 3-9 last season, but like most everyone other than Clemson, they used transfers to flip their roster and trot out a mostly new team in 2024. The Sun Devils caught some attention last week with a 48-7 dismantling of Wyoming, a program that’s usually salty from year-to-year.

 

Coach Kenny Dillingham and ASU are in their first year of Big 12 play and were led to the win over Wyoming by transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt, who started his career at Michigan State. State will counter with their own transfer signal caller, Blake Shapen. Shapen, who previously played at Baylor, looked to have good control of the offense against EKU, throwing for 247 yards and three scores in his maroon debut.

 

Arizona State is a less than a touchdown favorite, but the Sun Devils are 0-5 all-time against SEC competition. The Pac 12 might be dead, but this one could end up as one of those classic after-dark, Pac12 track meets where the last team with the ball has a shot to win.

 

Ole Miss vs. Middle Tennessee, Oxford

SEC Network, 3:15 p.m.

Will Ole Miss repeat their performance last week, a 76-0 shellacking of FCS Furman, this weekend in Oxford?

Maybe not, but they will still likely face very few challenges from the MTSU Blue Raiders. Middle Tennessee is in year number one of playing under former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason. Mason got his debut win in Murfreesboro last week against Tennessee Tech by a 32-25 final score.

Mason is known as a solid defensive play caller in a career that’s seen him leading units at Auburn, Oklahoma State, and Stanford. The Ole Miss offense has too many fast ponies to be slowed down by the Raiders though, expect the Rebels to roll again this week.

 

Southern Miss vs. Southeastern Louisiana, Hattiesburg

ESPN+, 6 p.m.

Here is a silver lining from a storm shortened 31-0 loss at Kentucky last week for Southern Miss, the Golden Eagles won’t face a defensive line as physical as the Wildcats again in 2024.

The Southeastern Lions from Hammond, America are coming off a 52-0 loss to Tulane last week. SLU put up a 3-8 record last season. Surprisingly for two programs that meet every year in baseball and many other sports, Southeastern and Southern Miss have not played in football since the 2011 season, a 52-6 victory for USM in Hattiesburg.

 

Southern Miss fans are hoping for another blowout win of that variety as they get ready to host a rising South Florida program next week in the Hub City.

 

Jackson State vs. Lane College, Jackson

SWAC Digital Network, 6 p.m.

Jackson State was in a tied game with Louisiana-Monroe last Thursday in its season opener before the Warhawks pulled away late for a 30-14 victory.

 

Lane is a historically black college located in Jackson, Tennessee. The Dragons play at the NCAA Division II level and are coming off a 2-8 season last year.

 

The Tigers are calling this one the W.C. Gordon Classic in honor of their former head coach, who passed away in 2020 and was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

 

Alcorn State at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tn.

ESPNU, 6:30 p.m.

A week after losing 41-3 at UAB to open the season, the Braves of Alcorn State are back on the road to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores of the SEC.

 

Vanderbilt was involved in one of the best games of the opening week, winning 34-27 in Nashville against Virginia Tech in overtime. Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia is a magician with the ball in his hands, as Auburn fans might remember. Pavia was the starting signal caller at New Mexico State last season when the Aggies went to the Plains and beat Auburn at home.

 

Alcorn fans will be able to see their team in Lorman next week, when the Braves host Division II Edward Waters.

 

Mississippi Valley State at Lamar University, Beaumont, Tx.

MVSU Digital Network, 6 p.m.

The Delta Devils of Mississippi Valley State University lost 41-21 to Tennessee State last week in the season opener for both schools.

 

The competition doesn’t get any easier this week with a solid Southland squad from Lamar University on the schedule. Lamar kept things close with Sun Belt member Texas State, losing 34-27, last week in San Marcos.

 

Delta State vs. Missouri S&T, Cleveland

FloFootball Digital Network, 6 p.m.

It’s Pig Pickin’ weekend in Cleveland, as the Delta State alumni base comes back home for the annual event that merges bbq and football.

 

DSU is 1-0 after rolling Mars Hill University 47-16 in North Carolina last week.

 

DSU went to Missouri University of Science and Technology last season and buried the Miners 48-20. MS&T is 0-1 after losing 49-17 to Wayne State last week.