Saturday, September 5
Starkville
6:30 p.m.
Mississippi State
vs
ULM
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Bulldogs Take On Warhawks In 2026 Season Opener
September 04, 2026 | Football
GAME 1
Mississippi State (0-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. ULM (0-0, 0-0 SBC)
Saturday, September 5 | 6:30 p.m. CT
TV: ESPNU
Streaming: ESPN App
Broadcast Talent: Doug Sherman (play-by-play), Tom Luginbill (analyst), Lauren Sisler (reporter)
Radio: HailState.com/Watch | MSU Sports Network | SiriusXM 179 or 229 | SiriusXM App
Radio Talent: Neil Price (play-by-play), Matt Wyatt (analyst), Jay Perry (reporter)
Gameday Schedule
8:00 a.m.: Parking Lots Open
2:30 p.m.: Coca-Cola Fan Fest Opens
3:30 p.m.: Ticket Office Opens
4:20 p.m.: Dawg Walk presented by Ford Begins
4:30 p.m.: Stadium Gates Open
4:40 p.m.: Photos with Bully in Coca-Cola Fan Fest
6:00 p.m.: Coca-Cola Fan Fest Closes
6:10 p.m.: Famous Maroon Band Pregame Show
6:15 p.m.: National Anthem
6:25 p.m.: Team Entrance
6:30 p.m.: Beat ULM
Countdown To Kickoff: State Opens Season Against ULM
The college football season has returned, as Mississippi State takes on the ULM Warhawks to open its season on Saturday night at Davis Wade Stadium.
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K1. QB1. H1M.
- Kamario Taylor was the highest-rated quarterback recruit to ever sign with Mississippi State in 2025 out of nearby Noxubee County High School in Macon.
- Taylor appeared in 11 games as a true freshman last year and started the final two games in the Egg Bowl against Ole Miss and the Duke's Mayo Bowl against Wake Forest.
- The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder was tabbed as the SEC Freshman of the Week twice in 2025. He had a rushing and passing touchdown in the Bulldogs' win at Arkansas and later ran for 173 yards and two scores while also throwing for 178 yards against Ole Miss in his first-career start.
- Taylor is a lifelong Bulldog fan who grew up wanting to follow in his uncle Omarr Conner's footsteps. Conner, also a four-star QB recruit from Noxubee County, played quarterback and wide receiver for Mississippi State from 2003-06. Conner is currently the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Hinds Community College.
- Noxubee County also produced former State greats Deontae Skinner and Jeffery Simmons, both of whom went on to play in the NFL. Skinner won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2014 and Simmons is a four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans.
Kelley 'Kelley Jones' Jones
- Quarterbacks didn't throw cornerback Kelley Jones' way very often in 2025. And the few times that they did, it usually didn't end well for them.
- Jones allowed the fewest receptions (11) among all Southeastern Conference corners last season and his 11 pass breakups were tied for second in the conference. He also picked off two passes leaving his 13 total passes defended also ranking tied for second in the SEC.
Ant-Man: The Sequel
- Anthony Evans III's first season at Mississippi State was one of the most productive in the program's history. Evans' 67 catches were the seventh-most in the school's annals and tied for third in the SEC in 2025.
- Evans also finished 10th in the conference in receiving yards (831) and 10th in receiving yards per game (63.9). He recorded at least four catches in 12 of 13 games for the Bulldogs last fall, including three 100-yard performances against Arizona State, Florida and Arkansas.
- Evans topped all State players with 18 explosive plays of 20+ yards in 2025 and was just the third Bulldog since 2016 to exceed 60 catches in a single season.
"This isn't StarkVegas to me, it's home"
- Senior Isaac Smith has been a standout on Mississippi State's defense since his arrival as a true freshman in 2023. Smith has racked up 206 tackles at both safety and linebacker during his stellar career. He led the Southeastern Conference with 127 tackles as a sophomore and was selected as a second team All-SEC performer in 2024.
- During preseason camp, the Fulton native was asked why it was so important for him to finish out his career at MSU in today's transfer portal era. Smith replied "I started here and I want to end it here. Everybody uses the term 'StarkVegas'. This isn't StarkVegas to me, it's home. This place means something special to me. The fans, the people, I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world."
Second Stints in Starkville
- Three Mississippi State coaches are beginning their second stints in Starkville. Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett, co-defensive coordinator Matt Brock were with MSU from 2020-23 and offensive line consultant Mason Miller was an assistant from 2020-22.
- Arnett was hired as Mike Leach's defensive coordinator in 2020 and served in that capacity until being named his successor in December 2022 following Leach's untimely death. Arnett guided the Bulldogs to a 19-10 win over Illinois in the Reliaquest Bowl and was the head coach for 10 games in 2023. He spent the past two seasons as a defensive analyst for Ole Miss and Florida State.
- Brock worked under Leach at Texas Tech and Washington State before accompanying him to Mississippi State. He was the Bulldogs special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach in 2020-21, linebackers coach in 2022 and promoted to defensive coordinator under Arnett in 2023. Brock spent the past two seasons as defensive coordinator at UConn.
- Miller was also on Leach's staff at Washington State as offensive line coach and served in that capacity in Starkville from 2020-21. In 2022, he added run game coordinator to his title for the Bulldogs. Miller coached Charles Cross for two seasons at MSU. Cross was drafted ninth overall by the Seahawks in the 2022 NFL Draft. Miller was the offensive coordinator for Tarleton State in 2023 and spent the past two seasons as the offensive line coach at Baylor.
NIL for Good
- Many Bulldogs have chosen to lift up others in their community this past offseason, including Wuerffel Trophy Watch List member DJ Chester.
- Chester and his JDC Thrive Foundation organized more than 20 of his teammates for a bed-building community service project benefiting the Golden Triangle's Bedz 4 Kidz drive to provide a safe and comfortable place for kids in need to lay their head every night.
- As for the reason behind his service efforts Chester said "I just want everybody to be on the same playing field so they can be whatever they want to be."
- Additionally, Starkville native Ethan Pulliam donated $4,000 for school supplies to two Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District elementary schools in July.
- Pulliam said of the gift: " I just wanted to give back to the school teachers and support staff that do all they can for us. Looking back at it, they did a lot for us, all the way around."
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