STARKVILLE —  After another long offseason, football is finally set to return to Starkville this Saturday when Mississippi State opens its 2023 season at Davis Wade Stadium against FCS opponent Southeastern Louisiana (3 p.m./SECN). 

Saturday will usher in a new era for Bulldogs football, led by first-year head coach Zach Arnett, who was promoted from defensive coordinator after the death of Mike Leach last December. 

The Bulldogs have opened the regular season against an FCS opponent five times since 2000, winning each meeting by an average score of 42-6, but none of those have come against the Lions, who won nine games and the Southland Conference championship last season. 

Here is what to know and watch for, for Saturday’s season opener. 

What: Southeastern Louisiana at Mississippi State 

When: 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 2 

Where: Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville 

TV: SECN 

Betting Line: N/A

Weather: Partly cloudy skies. High of 87 degrees. Winds SE at 5-10 miles per hour, per The Weather Channel

Records/Rankings: Mississippi State is unranked this week in the AP Top 25 Poll and AFCCA Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs did receive four votes in the AP Poll and 13 in the coaches poll. Southeastern Louisiana is ranked No. 15 in this week’s FCS Coaches Poll. 

Series History: Mississippi State won the lone previous meeting, beating SELA 34-10 in 2008 in Starkville. Wesley Carroll threw for two touchdowns for the Bulldogs, one to Brandon McRae and one to Austin Wilbanks, while Anthony Dixon rushed for 80 yards and two scores. 

MSU Update: Mississippi State recorded its first nine-win season since 2017 last fall. The Bulldogs won four of their final five games, including a 19-10 victory over Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl. MSU, however, went through a coaching change this winter and spring after the death of Mike Leach in December, promoting defensive coordinator Zach Arnett, who coached the bowl game, into his first head coaching role. 

When MSU has the ball, look for returning starters Will Rogers at quarterback, Jo’quavious Marks at running back and Lideatrick Griffin at wide receiver to produce in first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay’s system. The Bulldogs also return four starters on the offensive line in Nick Jones, Kameron Jones, Cole Smith and Steven Losoya III. The Bulldogs have added the tight end position back into the offense after transitioning away from Mike Leach’s Air-Raid passing system. 

Defensively, the Bulldogs return two starters on the line in Jaden Crumedy and Nathan Pickering, two of the Southeastern Conference’s top tacklers in linebackers Nathaniel Watson and Jett Johnson and one starter in the secondary in Decamerion Richardson. 

SELA Update: Southeastern Louisiana won nine games in 2022, taking home the Southland Conference title for the first time since 2014. SELA advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs, defeating Idaho before falling at Samford, 48-42, in overtime. The Lions, coached by Frank Scelfo in his sixth year, were picked by the media to repeat as conference champions this summer. 

The Lions had a Southland Conference-high 17 players selected to preseason teams, including quarterbacks Zachary Clement, first-team and Eli Sawyer, second-team. The Lions also return conference offensive lineman of the year, John Allen, as well as two defensive first-team players in linneman Arien Willims and linebacker Donte’ Daniels. 

The Lions are 0-28 against FBS teams in program history. 

SELA players to watch: RB Rodeo Graham Jr, QB Eli Sawyer, QB Zachary Clement, WR Maurice Massey, LB Herman Chrstophe IV 

Prediction: Zach Arnett and the Bulldogs cruise to an opening-game victory. 

Make it: Mississippi State 34, Southeastern Louisiana 6 

Justin Frommer is the Mississippi State sports reporter for The Dispatch.