Tom Dodge
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the seventh in the series previewing the 2018 football season.
No. 10 Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida and No. 4 Georgia are LSU’s first four SEC opponents in the 2018 season.
Then No. 18 Mississippi State visits Tiger Stadium on Oct. 20.
Joe Moorehead was hired after Dan Mullen left for Florida and the cries of Hail State could be in full force as the Bulldogs adapt to the new system
Mullen managed to lead MSU to eight straight bowl games while going 69-46 during his tenure.
Moorehead has a great track record as he turned Fordham from a one-win program into a winner, going 38-13 in his four years with three appearances in the FCS playoffs.
Then at Penn State he was part of a staff that won a Big Ten championship.
Senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald will have talented receivers Stephen Guidry, Devonta Jason and Malik Heath to throw to and 1,00 yard back Aeris Williams to carry the ball.
Bob Shoop is Mississippi State’s fifth defensive coordinator in as many years, and he’s at his third different SEC school.
Montez Sweat and Jeffery Simmons is a tackle-end combo who will lead the Bulldog defense.
Mississippi State is expected to have at least eight wins some believe that this could be a 10-win team.
LSU is at Tiger Stadium and a win is possible but the preseason prediction is a 60.2 percent chance for a Bulldog win.
Louisiana-Lafayette travels to Boone, Arkansas to take on Appalachain State - a team picked to battle Troy for the Sun Belt East division title.
The Mountaineers only loss of the season heading into the match-up with the Cajuns will be the season opener against Penn State.
Quarterback Zac Thomas has Thomas Hennigan, Jalen Virgil and Corey Sutton as wide receiver threats.
After missing 2017 with an injury, Darrynton Evans can line up as a receiver or running back.
Jalin Moore enters 2018 with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and could help App State win the conference title.
The defense is also a talented group, led by Clifton Duck and Tae Hayes who combined to register 10 interceptions and 18 pass breakups. 6. New leaders for the defense
The Cajuns aren’t expected to win this one a UL could suffer its fourth loss of the season and see its bowl eligibility become almost impossible.
Other games of interest around the state that week include Southern Methodist at Tulane, Texas El Paso at Louisiana Tech, Texas State at UL Monroe, Northwestern at Central Arkansas, Grambling at Alcorn State, Texas Southern at Southern, McNeese at Incarnate Word and Abilene Christian at Southeastern.