Tennessee football: Vols, SEC, top 25 predictions for Week Two of 2019
Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Mississippi State Bulldogs
TV: ESPNU; Line: Mississippi State -16.5; Over/Under: 51
Saturday, Sept. 7 at 3:30 p.m. E.T.; Davis-Wade Stadium; Starkville, Miss.
An ugly win over the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns on a neutral field has Mississippi State Bulldogs fans a bit concerned entering Joe Moorhead’s second season. This was to be expected given all the talent they lost, but you still start to wonder how they will be able to navigate an SEC slate. At least Tennessee football looks like a winnable game for them now.
Anyway, MSU in reality has nothing to be ashamed of. Louisiana was 7-7 last year, returns a ton of talent, and the game was on a neutral field. That was always a trap game for an opener, so just winning is all they needed to do. They also have another solid Group of Five opponent to face this week as well.
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles come to town with a 1-0 record in Jay Hopson’s fourth season with a ton of returning talent, particularly on defense, from a 6-5 team. This will be a great chance for them to really make a splash and show they’ve taken the next step. Can they do it on the road in a hostile environment?
Prediction
Once again, the over/under is the sure play here. Southern Miss has a very experienced defense, and Mississippi State has numerous offensive issues. The question is the spread. We say go with Southern Miss in the spread as well because they’ll score enough on MSU to keep this close. The Bulldogs win another game that’s too close for their liking.