Mississippi State's explosive opener adds to intrigue of Week 2 Gophers battle

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The Mississippi State Bulldogs are going to come into Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis next weekend with plenty of confidence. If that wasn’t already the case, it certainly is after Jeff Lebby’s team dominated Louisiana-Monroe 62-13 in its season opener on Saturday.

Favored by about 28 points over one of the worst teams at the FBS level, the Bulldogs covered before halftime in a 49-point romp that saw them score 41 first-half points and rack up an absurd 762 total yards on the day.

The Gophers also took care of business in a 59-7 rout of their own on Thursday, but Mississippi State gets a little more credit for beating an FBS program instead of an FCS team like Eastern Illinois. Minnesota was favored by over 40 in its opener.

19-year-old true sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor was the big story for Mississippi State, and he looks poised to cause major problems for the Gophers’ secondary next week. Taylor completed 22 of 34 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns, adding 59 yards and a fifth score on the ground. The highlight of the day was his fifth TD, a 70-yard strike that came just minutes into the third quarter.

Taylor showed some serious flashes in limited playing time as a true freshman, throwing for 629 yards and 5 TDs while rushing for 458 and 8 (including 173 rushing yards in last year’s Egg Bowl against Ole Miss). The former four-star recruit has all kinds of tools as a 6’4″, 230-pound QB with high-level mobility and a big right arm.

Next Saturday’s game (2:30 p.m. on CBS) will feature a showdown between two very talented quarterbacks in Taylor and Minnesota’s Drake Lindsey, who looked the part in a solid first outing as a redshirt sophomore. For both QBs, next week will present a much better challenge and a real measuring stick against a power conference defense.

Danny Collins and the Gophers will look to heat up their pass rush against Taylor, who was pressured on only 6 of 40 dropbacks against ULM. He was pressured on nearly half of his 108 dropbacks last year and took eight sacks (and lost two fumbles) in the final three games of the season. As a young quarterback with the athleticism to extend plays, he’s susceptible to sacks. Taylor averaged 3.47 seconds to throw as a freshman.

Preseason Big Ten defensive player of the year Anthony Smith had three pressures in an easy day for the Gophers on Thursday. Karter Menz had three of his own, while Cal transfer T.J. Bush Jr. recorded his first sack for Minnesota.

In addition to the pass rush, the Gophers will need their cornerbacks and safeties to be on top of their game against a quarterback like Taylor who can escape the pocket and find his receivers downfield. Limiting a Mississippi State running game that put up 345 yards on the Warhawks will be critical as well.

The Gophers opened as slight favorites for next Saturday’s game. After Mississippi State’s blowout, the Bulldogs have shifted to 1.5-point road favorites. This will be Minnesota’s first time hosting an SEC opponent since 1959.

Gophers vs. Bulldogs. Lindsey vs. Taylor. Get the popcorn ready.

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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Gophers section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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