Mississippi State vs Southern Miss Prediction: Both Teams Look to Move On From Last Year

Originally posted on College Football News
By Pete Fiutak | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 2:53 PM ET

Mississippi State can't go 2-10.

The program might not be playing for the SEC title on a regular basis, and it's hard living in the SEC - it didn't help that it played Arizona State last year - but it's at least supposed to be good enough to go to bowl games and be a factor.

In Year Two under head coach Jeff Lebby, there's hope to be far better in a hurry, especially on offense.

Southern Miss followed up a 3-9 season with a one-win campaign, and it had just about enough of that. In comes Charles Huff and a whole slew of parts from the Marshall team that won the Sun Belt title last year.

Mississippi State vs Southern Miss Preview: The Rebounds Start Here

Mississippi State vs Southern Miss How To Watch

Date: Saturday, August 30, 2025
Game Time: 12:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Location: M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, MS

Mississippi State Has the Offense to Go Off

Starting quarterback Blake Shapen got hurt early last year, the defense didn't help the cause, and everything crashed from there. Shapen threw eight touchdown passes and just one interception before going down, and now he has the parts around him to rock.

The receivers from the portal are terrific. There should be more time behind a sneaky-good like, and signing running back Fluff Bothwell from South Alabama matters against a Southern Miss run defense that has to prove it can stop someone.

Southern Miss Will Be Better, Fast

The team can't be any worse, and it won't be.

Huff is a terrific college football coach, and he got the guys who can step in and shine right away. The secondary should hold its own for a little bit - corner Josh Moten is one of the best players on the field - with a slew of Marshall stars stepping in.

Mississippi State still has to prove it can get to the quarterback, it has to be night-and-day better against the run, and ...

Mississippi State's Offense Will Take Over Early

Southern Miss might be more competitive, and it should be far more dangerous in the Sun Belt, but after a historically brutal season, Mississippi State will come out firing.

It's a strange road game to kick things off, but Shapen will be focused, the passing game will work, and this won't be too much of a battle in the second half.

Mississippi State vs Southern Miss Prediction, Betting Lines

Mississippi State 45, Southern Miss 16
Consensus Line: Mississippi State -13.5, o.u: 61.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 4
Must See Rating: 2

Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

This article first appeared on College Football News and was syndicated with permission.

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