Gophers-Mississippi State preview: High-end QBs, an X-factor, and everything else to know
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The Gophers host Mississippi State on Saturday, in what will be their first home game against an SEC team since 1959. It’s an intriguing matchup between two 1-0 squads with promising young quarterbacks. Here’s what you need to know.
From the practice field: what we’re hearing
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor blossomed into a star after totaling 400+ yards and five touchdowns in the season opener against UL Monroe. Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck is fully aware of Taylor’s talent.
“He’s very, very talented; he’ll be one of the best quarterbacks we’ve ever played, that’s for sure, since I’ve been here,” he told the media this week. “He distributes the ball really well, always keeps the play alive. Yeah, he’s a very, very dangerous college football player, that’s for sure.”
The matchup-specific stat that matters
Taylor has all of the traits of a future star, but Saturday will be just his fourth career start at the college level and his first on the road. On the other side, Drake Lindsey has now made 14 college starts, and he’s a perfect 7-0 at home. Lindsey’s experience might be the Gophers’ biggest edge in Saturday’s showdown at Huntington Bank Stadium.
Injury/availability report
Promising Gophers freshman running back Ryan Estrada was ruled out for the season on Monday. There were a few other minor injuries deeper on the depth chart throughout fall camp, with backup center Brett Carroll and defensive lineman Enoch Atewogbola also suffering season-ending injuries. Overall, Minnesota’s two-deep depth chart remains relatively healthy heading into Week 2.
Mississippi State was notably without inside linebacker Zakari Tillman in Week 1, but his injury is not believed to be serious. Similar to Fleck’s approach, Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby has opted against discussing injuries until conference play starts.
We may not know of any marquee injuries until Saturday.
Head-to-head history and recent trends
This is the first meeting between Minnesota and Mississippi State. However, there’s some deep history connecting the Gophers and Bulldogs dating back to Murray Warmath leaving Mississippi State for Minnesota in 1953, ultimately leading the Gophers to a pair of Rose Bowl appearances, two Big Ten titles, and their last national championship in 1960.
Lebby was put in an intimidating spot as head coach of Mississippi State, replacing Mike Leach, who passed away before the 2023 season. Nevertheless, he has an 8-18 overall record with the Bulldogs and a 1-15 mark in the SEC. They were significantly improved last season, and there’s plenty of positive momentum in Starkville with Taylor under center.
X-factor: Kelley Jones vs. Minnesota’s receivers
Taylor has gotten plenty of buzz, rightfully so, but Jones might be the best player on Mississippi State’s roster. The fourth-year cornerback has already found himself in the first round of multiple 2027 NFL mock drafts. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, he has legit All-America potential, and he’s the type of talent who could quickly stop any momentum that Javon Tracy and Minnesota’s receivers built in Week 1 against Eastern Illinois.
Coaching tendencies
Lebby is an offensive-minded head coach, and he has a tremendous track record. His first big job came in 2018 as the quarterbacks coach at UCF. He helped with back-to-back double-digit win seasons in Orlando, before taking the offensive coordinator/quarterback coach job at Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin. He had a great two-year run there before taking the same role with his alma mater, Oklahoma, in 2022. After two years in Norman, he took his first head coaching job at Mississippi State.
Lebby hired the head coach he replaced, Zach Arnett, to be Mississippi State’s defensive coordinator this season. Arnett held that position under Mike Leach before becoming the interim and eventual head coach in 2023. The Bulldogs have ranked outside the top 100 in points allowed per game in both seasons under Lebby, so Arnett is trying to improve that.
Minnesota connections
Mississippi State doesn’t have any Minnesota transfers or Minnesota natives on its roster, but former Vikings offensive lineman Phil Loadholt is in his second season as the team’s offensive line coach. He held that role at Colorado in 2024, and he joined Lebby’s staff last season.
Weather forecast
After one of the hottest games in the history of Huntington Bank Stadium in Week 1, the forecast is calling for another game in the 80s on Saturday. There could be some storms rolling through Minnesota late Friday night to Saturday morning, but things should clear up by the 2:30 p.m. kickoff.
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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 10, 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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