There’s a buzz around Starkville, Mississippi, as the weekend turns away the week’s darkness with Jeff Lebby and his Bulldogs back at Davis Wade Stadium for a final tune-up before the Southeastern Conference opener against Florida on the 21st. To go with the Mississippi State Football night game on Saturday, you have a concert from a Mississippi State fan in Hardy on Friday night to kick off the weekend at Dudy Noble Stadium. The energy surrounding this weekend is undeniable; these weekends make Starkville unique, giving Coach Lebby and his staff a leg up on recruiting the in-state guys to stay home and play for the Bulldogs.

On the gridiron, Mississippi State will face a sneaky undefeated Toledo team out of the MAC. Mississippi State must play well to avoid a disaster at home on Saturday night. Toledo comes into Starkville as a team picked to finish second in the MAC this season. Toledo and Mississippi State have never played; Toledo does have a lone win against the Southeastern Conference that came back in 2014 when they went into Arkansas and beat the Razorbacks. According to the Toledo game notes, the Rockets are seeking a 3-0 start for the first time since 2017.

Toledo’s offense is similar to what Mississippi State will roll out on Saturday night. Tucker Gleason is at quarterback with the two-headed monster, and Jerjuan Newton is at wide receiver. Toledo is averaging 43.5 points per game through two games. As for the program, Toledo has a fourteen-year bowl eligibility streak dating back to 2010, showing the sustained success of the program that plays at the Glass Bowl in Toledo, Ohio.

For Mississippi State, the Bulldogs head into Saturday night’s game, with Toledo looking to continue to improve from week to week after starting slowly against Arizona State last week, making the game competitive in the 4th quarter.

From an offensive perspective, look for Coach Lebby to continue to air the ball out, experimenting with what works. Kevin Coleman Jr. and Davon Booth are the two Bulldogs who have found the endzone in Mississippi State’s first two games. Expect Blake Shapen to take the lid off early and get more Bulldogs involved in the final tune-up before Florida comes to Davis Wade Stadium next Saturday.

According to the fine folks in Las Vegas, Mississippi State comes into the Toledo game as a ten-and-a-half point favorite over the Rockets. In all likelihood, the game will be close for a while, with the Bulldogs pulling away at the end for win number two under Head Coach Jeff Lebby.

Mississippi State and Toledo will get underway after a full 24 hours of partying under the lights at Davis Wade Stadium. The kick-off is slated for 6:30 on ESPNU.

( Photo Credits: Mississippi State Football on X )