College football is back in Mississippi, and coaches representing the state’s three Division I FBS schools have stressed the importance of preparation ahead of their week one matchups.
No. 9 Ole Miss will begin year one of the Pete Golding era after a historic 13-win campaign that concluded in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. Mississippi State will kick off year three of the Jeff Lebby era with hope that homegrown quarterback Kamario Taylor can bring the Bulldogs back to national prominence. Southern Miss could be facing a rebuilding year with Blake Anderson taking the helms in Hattiesburg and the Golden Eagles having more than 70 new players on the roster.
Here’s what each coach said about their preparation for the 2026-27 season debut:
Ole Miss
Ole Miss will inarguably have the tallest task of the Mississippi teams, as the Rebels are the only ones facing a top-25 foe. Golding and company are taking on No. 24 Louisville in Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on Sunday night. While decorated Louisville coach Jeff Brohm’s Cardinals feature a new quarterback, a reworked offensive line, and a revamped wide receivers corps, the team also returns All-ACC running back Isaac Brown and a stout defense.
Louisville is also one of three teams to defeat national title runner-up Miami, the team that knocked Ole Miss out of the College Football Playoff, a season ago and there is buzz that the Cardinals could be an ACC frontrunner if they play their cards right this year. Needless to say, if the Rebels are not on their A-game, they are susceptible to being dealt an early loss, and Golding is aware of that. Ole Miss features a cast of star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, running back Kewan Lacy, and defensive tackle Will Echoles.
“If you do that this coming Sunday, you’re not going to win the football game,” Golding said, adding that he’s optimistic that the work his team put in during the offseason will benefit Ole Miss come Sunday. “I thought the effort was better. I thought there was better attention to detail. It’s still not where it needs to be.”
The Rebels are currently 6.5-point favorites over Louisville.
Mississippi State
Mississippi State opens the season versus a Louisiana Monroe team with very little outside optimism surrounding it, giving the Bulldogs a golden opportunity to make a statement and test the depth of its team. The Warhawks were predicted to be the worst team in the Sun Belt West in the offseason, so Lebby and company will have no excuse if things go wayward in Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday.
The Bulldogs, though not expected to be a heavyweight in the SEC this season, boast a couple of shining stars the college football world is fascinated to see in action. At quarterback, Noxubee County native Kamario Taylor is a dual threat option that, when clicking, can beat teams in every phase of the game. On the other side of the ball, Mississippi State has Clarksdale native Kelley Jones, who is widely considered one of the nation’s top lockdown corners.
For the Bulldogs to not only have success in week one, but also score style points in what could be a blowout win, Lebby said his team will need to be confident in its preparation.
“Preparation is what creates a ton of confidence. Walking down that ramp Saturday night and being prepared is what it’s all about,” Lebby said. “That’s got to be an advantage to us, how we do what we do.”
Mississippi State is currently a 28.5-point favorite over Louisiana Monroe.
Southern Miss
A new-look Southern Miss team will have a little bit of an edge over its FBS peers in scouting its opponent, as the Golden Eagles on Saturday will host an Alcorn State team that already has a game under its belt. And Anderson has let his team know that the Braves can walk out of Renasant Bank Stadium victorious if Southern Miss plays undisciplined football.
Alcorn State quarterback Jaylon Tolbert might be the primary focus for the Golden Eagles. The Brave signal caller tossed for five touchdowns and rushed for one in last weekend’s 56-7 beatdown of Miles. For a Southern Miss squad rife with new players, being on the same page will be key against a group eager to play spoiler in an in-state foe’s stadium.
“I told our guys very clearly that this is a team more than capable of beating us here at home. We’ve got to be ready and respect our opponent,” Anderson said. “I think our guys are doing that, at least our practices have been really good.”
Southern Miss is currently a 20.5-point favorite in the game.