Venue & Game Details
Kickoff: 5:00 PM CT / 6:00 PM ET
Venue: Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field, Starkville, Mississippi
Surface: Natural Grass
Broadcast: ESPN+ / SEC Network+ (Richard Cross, Charles Arbuckle, Stephanie Otey reporting)
Weather Forecast (Kickoff)
Conditions: Clear skies, warm evening
Temperature: ~88°F (31°C) at kickoff, cooling to ~82°F by the fourth quarter
Humidity: ~55%
Wind: Light SSW breeze at 4–6 mph
Impact: Heat could test depth, especially for Alcorn; otherwise, perfect passing and kicking conditions.
Injury Report
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Out for season: DE Will Whitson (Co-SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week in Week 1) and RT Blake Steen.
Questionable: CB Jett Jefferson (yet to debut in 2025).
No other major injuries reported.
Alcorn State Braves
No official injury list released; key starters expected to play.
LB Tobias Hinton (former MSU player) healthy — 13 tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR through two games.
Recent Form
Mississippi State Bulldogs
W 24–20 vs. #10 Arizona State — Blake Shapen’s 58-yard TD to Brenen Thompson with :30 left sealed the upset.
W 34–17 vs. Southern Miss — Balanced offense, stout run defense.
First 2-0 start since 2018; seeking first 3-0 start since 2018.
Alcorn State Braves
L 31–41 @ Alabama A&M — Gave up 500+ yards; offense showed life with 176 rush yards from Jacorian Sewell.
L 10–20 vs. Northwestern State — Struggled to finish drives; defense solid against the pass.
Series History
All-time meetings: Mississippi State leads 2–0.
2013 — MSU 51, Alcorn 7 (Starkville)
2010 — MSU 49, Alcorn 16 (Starkville)
Trend: SEC size/speed advantage has produced lopsided results; Alcorn seeking first-ever win over MSU.
Key Player Matchups
QB Blake Shapen (MSU) vs. Alcorn Secondary — Shapen has 551 pass yards, 4 TDs (all 45+ yards) in 2025; Alcorn has allowed just 345 pass yards total this season, but against less explosive passing teams.
WR Brenen Thompson (MSU) vs. CB1 (Alcorn) — Thompson’s deep-threat ability (2 TDs of 48+ yards last week) will stretch coverage.
RB Jacorian Sewell (Alcorn) vs. MSU Front Seven — Sewell averaging 88 rush YPG; MSU allowing
LB Nic Mitchell (MSU) vs. QB Jaylon Tolbert (Alcorn) — Mitchell’s sideline-to-sideline range could disrupt Alcorn’s short passing game.
Special Teams — MSU’s coverage units vs. Alcorn’s return game; hidden yardage could matter for the Braves to shorten the field.
Betting Trends & Angles
ATS: MSU 2-0 ATS in 2025; Alcorn 0-2 ATS.
Totals: MSU 0-2 to the Under; Alcorn 1-1 O/U.
SEC vs. SWAC: SEC teams have covered in 7 of last 10 vs. SWAC opponents.
Situational: MSU off emotional Top-10 win; potential for early dominance, then backups in second half.
Game Odds
Alcorn State Braves 52.5
Mississippi State Bulldogs – 39
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 12, 2025
