Mississippi State football’s season opener is here.
The Bulldogs will be under the leadership of Jeff Lebby for a third year, and Lebby has plenty of confidence in what he believes is the most rounded out roster he’s had since coming to Starkville. That roster will be on display Saturday night when Mississippi State kicks off the 2026 season at home against Louisiana-Monroe.
Here’s what you need to know to listen to and watch Mississippi State vs. Louisiana-Monroe.
Kickoff time
Mississippi State and Louisiana-Monroe will kick off inside Davis-Wade Stadium in Starkville on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT.
How to listen
Like all Bulldog football games, Mississippi State and Louisiana-Monroe will air on participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
To find a station in your area, click here. You can also listen on the SuperTalk app, available on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
How to watch
Mississippi State and Louisiana-Monroe will air live on ESPNU. Other streaming options include the ESPN app and Fubo.
Quick shots
— This will be the seventh all-time meeting between Mississippi State and Louisiana-Monroe. The Bulldogs hold a 4-1-1 lead in the series with the last time the two met being a 24-10 Mississippi State victory in 1997.
— Mississippi State went 5-8 in 2025, including a Duke’s Mayo Bowl appearance. Louisiana-Monroe went 3-9 and failed to qualify for the postseason.
— Lebby is going into his third season with Mississippi State, holding a 7-18 record, while Bryant Vincent is going into his third season with Louisiana-Monroe, holding a 8-16 record.
— Kamario Taylor will start at quarterback for Mississippi State. The dual-threat sophomore had 629 passing yards, 5 passing touchdowns, 458 rushing yards, and 8 rushing touchdowns with 1 interception as a freshman. He was awarded the starting spot at the tail-end of 2025.
— Aiden Armenta will get another chance behind center in his third year at Louisiana-Monroe. In 2025, he passed for 1,629 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions.
— Preseason All-SEC Bulldogs: DB Kelley Jones (second team) and P Ethan Pulliam (third team).
— Preseason All-Sun Belt Warhawks: OL AJ Vinson (first team), LB Noah Flemmings (first team), WR Nic Trujilo (second team), and DB Jabari Tiller (second team).
