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Week One Of College Football: What’s In Store In the Magnolia State
Week one of the 2025 college football season begins in just over three weeks, so what’s in store in Mississippi?
Five Division I teams: Alcorn State, Jackson State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Southern Miss will all begin the season in week one between Aug. 28-30. Here’s a preview of each match up:
Alcorn State will begin its season on Thursday, Aug. 28 on the road in an FCS match up against Northwestern State. The Braves are coming off a 6-6 season under first-year head coach Cedric Thomas where they finished second in the Southwestern Atlantic Conference Western Division. Northwestern State, meanwhile, went a whopping 0-12 in 2024. Coach Thomas and the Braves will look to continue building momentum as he enters year two.
The other HBCU, Jackson State, kicks off its 2025 campaign under third-year head coach T.C. Taylor on Saturday, Aug. 30 against fellow HBCU program Hampton. 2024 was a huge year for the Tigers as they went 12-2 and won the HBCU National Championship.
Ole Miss comes off a strong 10-3 season in 2024, just missing the first 12-team College Football Playoff. The Rebels will look to start strong to begin year six of the Lane Kiffin era on Aug. 30 against Georgia State in what should be an easy win in Oxford.
The last match up will be a Magnolia State showdown on Aug. 30 between Mississippi State and Southern Miss in Hattiesburg. The Golden Eagles begin a new era with former Marshall head coach Charles Huff, who posted a 32-20 record with the Thundering Herd over the past four seasons.
Mississippi State is coming off a 2-10 season under first-year head coach Jeff Lebby, but the Bulldogs have been busy with recruiting and transfers as well as getting more accustomed to Lebby’s play style. Game one of the season will be an entertaining battle between these two teams as they both have something to prove.
