While many schools are canceling or modifying their spring football games this year, Mississippi State is keeping the tradition alive, and Bulldogs fans will be able to see their team compete in an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium.

The game will start at noon and is scheduled to last just one hour with a standard scoring system. Unlike last year’s game, which pitted the offense against the defense and featured a unique scoring system where the defense could earn points for things like sacks and turnovers, this year the roster will be split into the Maroon team and the White team.

After MSU finished 2-10 with an 0-8 record in Southeastern Conference play in head coach Jeff Lebby’s first season in Starkville, this will be fans’ first chance to see the Bulldogs’ new-look roster in action. Here are three things to keep an eye on as MSU wraps up spring practice.

Shapen back in good health to lead quarterbacks room

Starting quarterback Blake Shapen sustained a season-ending shoulder injury in the Bulldogs’ SEC opener against Florida last September, but after successfully applying for another year of eligibility, he opted to spend one more year at MSU. With Michael Van Buren transferring to LSU, Shapen is again the Bulldogs’ presumptive starter behind center.

During the first week of spring practice, Lebby said Shapen was “the healthiest and biggest and strongest he’s ever been in his career,” and his familiarity with Lebby’s offense gives him an edge over Florida State transfer Luke Kromenhoek and freshman Kamario Taylor. Shapen was outstanding in last year’s spring game, completing 18 of 22 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns, albeit against a defense that turned out to be one of the worst in college football.

Kromenhoek appeared in six games last year with the Seminoles, completing 52.4 percent of his passes for 502 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Taylor, out of Noxubee County High School, is among the highest-ranked quarterback recruits in program history.

At 6 feet, 4 inches with blazing speed, Taylor’s commitment to the Bulldogs never wavered despite offers from Georgia, Missouri and Texas A&M, among others. Saturday will be his first opportunity to play in Davis Wade Stadium in front of fans.

Which side will win the line of scrimmage?

MSU struggled up front on both sides of the ball last season, particularly in the passing game. The Bulldogs had a hard time protecting their own quarterbacks, allowing sacks on 9.42 percent of dropbacks, and an even harder time generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks, with just 0.7 sacks per game.

Both the offensive and defensive lines look different this spring than they did last fall. On offense, Jacoby Jackson and Albert Reese IV are returning starters, although Reese did have a boot on his foot for much of the spring.

Luke Work saw action at left tackle last season and could be in line to start there, although newcomers like Carson Lee and Trevor Mayberry will surely push the returners. Kentucky transfer Koby Keenum is the likely starting center. The offensive line started to have success in run blocking toward the end of the season, but pass protection remained an issue through November.

The defensive line was even more of a mess last year, plagued by injuries and poor performances. Trevion Williams, Deonte Anderson and Kedrick Bingley-Jones are back, and Kalvin Dinkins is working his way back from another season-ending injury that cost him all but one game last season.

MSU did bring in reinforcements with SEC experience, adding Jaray Bledsoe (Texas), Malick Sylla (Texas A&M) and Darron Reed (Auburn). Will Whitson, a transfer from Coastal Carolina, could also be an impact addition. The battle on the line of scrimmage may not indicate much about how either unit will fare against another SEC team, but it should be a clue as to which side has improved more in the offseason.

What to make of the receivers and defensive backs?

Lebby wants his quarterbacks to push the ball down the field, which could make for some interesting matchups between a retooled wide receivers room and a secondary that also struggled last season. Jordan Mosley is the only receiver back who saw significant action last year, although the Bulldogs are excited about newcomers like Brenen Thompson and Anthony Evans III.

MSU has depth at safety with Brylan Lanier shifting back over there, Braylon “Stonka” Burnside switching sides of the ball and returners like Isaac Smith and Hunter Washington. But depth could be a problem at cornerback, where only Kelley Jones and DeAgo Brumfield have played meaningful snaps for the Bulldogs. Elijah Cannon had a pick-six in the season opener last year and should move up the depth chart after redshirting as a true freshman.

The spring game should leave us with at least some idea of who MSU’s go-to receivers will be, as well as the pecking order in the defensive backfield.