Mississippi State Football Opens Season With 38-28 Win Over Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS — The Mississippi State football team opened the 2019 season with a 38-28 win over Louisiana at Mercedes-Benz Superdome Saturday afternoon.

MSU (1-0) scored 21 unanswered points in a 17:24 span during the second, third and fourth quarters. Louisiana (0-1) then scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to come within one score with 2:45 left in the game before a 37-yard field goal by junior kicker Jordan Lawless locked in a Bulldog win.

MSU used six plays in its opening drive to make it a 7-0 game after senior quarterback Tommy Stevens found junior Osirus Mitchell for a 31-yard touchdown pass. The Ragin’ Cajuns would end up tying the game at 7-7 with 3:17 to go in the first quarter.

The squads would then trade a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter before the Bulldogs scored 21 unanswered points with a 4-yard touchdown run by Stevens, a 5-yard touchdown run from junior running back Kylin Hill and a 12-yard passing touchdown to sophomore wide receiver Austin Williams.

A pair of fourth quarter touchdown runs from Louisiana made it a one touchdown game before Lawless put the nail in the coffin with his field goal.

In his debut with the Bulldogs, Stevens passed for 236 yards and two touchdowns on 20 of 30 passing, while also adding 11 rushes for 37 yards and one touchdown.

Mitchell finished the game with a team-high 88 yards and a touchdown on six catches. Hill was phenomenal on the ground, compiling 197 yards rushing and a touchdown on 27 carries.

Defensively, the Bulldogs forced five turnovers, which included an interception and a fumble recovery by junior Cameron Dantzler. Junior linebacker Erroll Thompson anchored the defense with a team-high 10 tackles.

The Bulldogs will be back in action Saturday when they start a three-game homestand against Southern Miss. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT and will be televised by ESPNU.