Good to see the Bulldogs getting some recognition here. Release from the Tallahassee Quarterback Club, which runs the award:

The Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation, Inc., the Florida-based creator and sponsor of the prestigious Biletnikoff Award, released the 2024 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List on August 7. Today, November 7, the Foundation announces the sixth in-season addition of receivers, two at this time, to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List. See 2024 Biletnikoff Award Watch List.

The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the college football season's outstanding FBS receiver. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot back, and running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award. As such, the Biletnikoff Award recognizes college football's outstanding receiver, not merely college football's outstanding wide receiver. Tight end Kyle Pitts was a finalist in 2020 and other tight ends were semifinalists in prior years. Moreover, the Biletnikoff Award is a single season, not career, award.

The semifinalists, finalists, and award recipient are selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of 600 prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, Biletnikoff Award winners, and other former receivers. Foundation trustees do not vote and have never voted. For a list of voters, please see BiletnikoffAward.com/voters.

Receivers are frequently added to the watch list as their season performances dictate. Actual, not potential, performance is the basis for inclusion on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.

The Biletnikoff Award candidate eligibility and voting criteria, transparently explicit and detailed, are available for review at BiletnikoffAward.com/criteria.

Our friend Ryan Sylvia at VolReport.com gives us the rundown in our weekly Q&A with the opposing beat writer:

Guys, following up on a previous INsider I had, as Mississippi State continues to work on Kansas commit Joe Skipworth. I do think he's a Bulldogs lean, but I did think he could have flipped by now and didn't. Though he says signing day in the story, I don't think this will go another month. He'll either be in or out over the next few weeks, but could could stretch it a month.

Release from State Athletics:

Mississippi State long snapper Hayes Hammond has been announced as a nominee for the 2024 Burlsworth Trophy, awarded annually to the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk-on. This is Hammond's second consecutive season earning a nomination for the award.

The Burlsworth Trophy is given to the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as a Walk-On and has shown outstanding performance on the field. Each nominee must have begun his first season of participation with an FBS football program without financial aid from his university's athletic department.

Hammond, a senior from Tupelo, Miss., came to Mississippi State as a walk-on in 2020 and later earned a scholarship in the fall of 2023. Hammond has been the Bulldog's primary long snapper since his redshirt freshman season in 2021 and has been a mainstay in the Bulldog lineup, having played in 33 consecutive games.

Each year wearing the Maroon and White, Hammond has increased his snaps played each season. After playing 45 snaps in 2021, he played 81 snaps in 2022, 112 in 2023 and 73 this season. During his sophomore campaign, Hammond also earned three tackles.

Since he arrived in Starkville, Hammond has been a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll every year. As a freshman, he earned First Year SEC Academic honors, followed by SEC Academic Honor Roll honors each of the last two seasons. Last season, he was named to the CSC, formerly CoSIDA, Academic All-District team and graduated with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.

Hammond was graded as a four-star long snapper at Tupelo High School while earning a pair of First Team All-State honors as a junior.

Release from State Athletics:

Mississippi State football's Davon Booth has been named to the Paul Hornung Award Week 10 Honor Roll, the Louisville Sports Commission announced Tuesday.

Booth, a senior from North Las Vegas, Nev., continues to have a strong season wearing the Maroon & White. In the Bulldog's victory over UMass, Booth finished with 76 rushing yards on 11 carries with one touchdown. He added 14 yards through the air and 71 yards on kickoff returns, closing the game with 161 all-purpose yards. He helped the Bulldogs to a season-high 241 yards on the ground, averaging 13.4 yards per carry.

Booth has now rushed for at least 75 yards in three straight games while scoring a touchdown in four consecutive games, three receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.

On the year, Booth has 472 yards rushing on 104 carries with three touchdowns. Through the air, Booth has 125 yards receiving on nine receptions with four touchdowns. He has had a knack for explosive plays this season, with five plays of 20+ yards and four plays over 30 yards, including having a play of at least 30 yards in each of the last two games.

Davon Booth and Isaac Smith available to talk to members of the media on Tuesday:

Good, dominant win for the Bulldogs on opening night Monday,

Coach Jeff Lebby's weekly Monday press conference, this time ahead of the Bulldogs' game Saturday at Tennessee:

Individual grades from the Bulldogs' 45-20 win Saturday over UMASS:

Texas wide receiver in the class of 2026. Committed just before he left Starkville on a visit this weekend.
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Just announced: game next week will kick off at 6 pm CT on ESPN.
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Sooooo...during the game today, a video starting gaining traction online of 2026 commit Iverson McCoy writing a decommitment text on his phone:
Login to view embedded media But then he followed that up with a post in which he said he was 'trolling.' Not sure what to believe, but the whole thing seems odd. So, he did it for attention? Just strange.
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This one is a good confidence booster, if nothing else. Any positives are helpful right now in that locker room.

Hey all, here's our regular round-up of who the Mississippi State staff is expecting at Davis Wade Stadium for the game tomorrow. I'll be updating the list as I get more confirmations.
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Release from MSU Athletics:

Mississippi State's Josh Hubbard garnered Preseason All-SEC Second Team accolades by the league's coaches on Wednesday as announced by the SEC office.

As a program, the Bulldogs have had at least one player capture All-SEC Preseason honors from the coaches in four consecutive seasons and during nine of the last 10 seasons going back to 2015-16.

In five days, State faces West Georgia (Nov. 4 – 6:30 p.m. – SEC Network+) for its 2024-25 season opener at Humphrey Coliseum and officially embarks on the program's third season under Chris Jans, who has guided State to consecutive NCAA Tournament trips. The Maroon and White are looking to secure three straight NCAA Tournament bids for the third time in program history.

Hubbard is coming off one of the nation's most electric seasons by a true freshman last season. He garnered All-SEC Second-Team status, won the SEC's Freshman of the Week honor five times and was the first freshmen to secure the Bailey Howell Trophy which is awarded to the state of Mississippi's top collegiate player.

Hubbard racked up 17.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. His 17.1 points per game are fourth-most among SEC returning players in 2024-25 and were tops among SEC freshmen a season ago. Hubbard amassed nine of his 13 outings of 20-plus points versus SEC opponents, while his 13 performances of 20-plus led the nation among true freshmen.

The 598 points for the Madison, Mississippi native was a State freshman record and ranked 8th for a single season. He drained 108 three-pointers which were both overall and freshmen single season records for the Maroon and White.

Hubbard ranked among the SEC's top 15 in three-pointers made (3.09 – 1st), three-point field goal percentage (35.5 – 5th), free throw percentage (85.3 – 9th) and field goal percentage (35.5 – 15th).

2024-25 SEC Preseason Coaches Awards
Preseason All-SEC First Team
Johni Broome – Auburn
Walter Clayton Jr. – Florida
Mark Sears – Alabama
Wade Taylor IV – Texas A&M
Zakai Zeigler – Tennessee

Preseason All-SEC Second Team
Jonas Aidoo – Arkansas
Johnell Davis – Arkansas
Josh Hubbard – Mississippi State
Matthew Murrell – Ole Miss
Grant Nelson – Alabama

Preseason All-SEC Third Team
Chad Baker-Mazara – Auburn
Tre Johnson – Texas
Tramon Mark – Texas
Collin Murray-Boyles – South Carolina
Jaxson Robinson – Kentucky

SEC Preseason Player of the Year
Mark Sears – Alabama

Hey all, I caught up with one of UMASS' beat writers, Garrett Cote, for details on the Minutemen, ahead of the game on Saturday:

Mississippi State tips off its 2024-25 season on Monday against West Georgia. Before that game, coach Chris Jans spoke Wednesday with members of the media:

Two games of Mississippi State's non-conference slate next season seems to have taken shape. According to Jon Rothstein, the Bulldogs will play in a field with Nebraska, Kansas State and one team to be named:
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Kevin Coleman, Nic Mitchell, Sulaiman Kpaka ahead of the game Saturday with UMASS:

There were a couple of brighter spots, as the individual grades show. But you can also pinpoint where it went wrong:

The Bulldogs' defense struggled to say the least on Saturday. Coach Jeff Lebby talked about that and more after the game:

Just no defense to be found today for Mississippi State, which allowed 7 touchdowns, three field goals and forced just one punt.

As per usual with State home games, we're compiling a list of the visitors confirmed for the game. This will be updated regularly, even after the game, when we usually confirm more attendees:
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Decision coming soon-ish ...

Q&A with our friend Riley McFerran over at HawgBeat.com: