Game 1 | No. 15/15 Southeastern (0-0) at Mississippi State (0-0)
Sept. 2, 2023 | 3 p.m. | Davis Wade Stadium (60,311) | Starkville, Miss.
Series History: Mississippi State leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Mississippi State 34, Southeastern 10 (9/6/08 | Starkville, Miss.)
Television: SEC Network
            Announcers; Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang
Radio: Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, The Boss 103.7 FM/WFPR 1400 AM
            Announcers; Mark Willoughby, Harris Beall, Allen Waddell and Robbie Rhodes
 
HAMMOND, La. – The reigning Southland Conference champion Southeastern Louisiana University football team will officially open the 2023 season Saturday with a 3 p.m. contest at Mississippi State.
 
The game between the No. 15 Lions (0-0) and the host Bulldogs (0-0) will be televised from Davis Wade Stadium live on SEC Network. The contest can also be heard live in the Hammond area on the Southeastern Sports Radio Network (Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, The Boss 103.7 FM/WFPR 1400 AM).
 
The Lions won their first Southland Conference title since 2014 last fall, advancing to the second round of the NCAA FCS playoffs for the third time in the past four years. Southeastern, which is one of three schools nationally to be ranked in the final FCS polls each of the past four seasons, was picked to win the Southland Conference by the league's coaches and media relations directors in July. SLU returns a SLC-high 17 preseason All-Southland Conference performers.
 
Southeastern had representatives selected in all three phases, led by the Lions taking both quarterback spots on the preseason All-SLC squad. Junior Zachary Clement, who was a second team all-conference pick at Northwestern State last fall, was a first team selection, while Eli Sawyer was the second team choice.
 
Clement led a quartet of first team preseason All-Southland Conference selections on offense for the Lions. Joining Clement was the offensive line trio of preseason All-American and reigning SLC Offensive Lineman of the Year John Allen and fellow offensive linemen Jhy Orgeron and Jalen Bell.
 
Senior defensive end Arlen Williams and junior linebacker Donte' Daniels were both first team all-league choices on the defensive side of the ball. Southeastern saw two special teams standouts – senior punter Austin Dunlap and junior punt returner Darius Lewis – also earn first team notice.
 
Sawyer was joined on the second team offense by three teammates - sophomore running back Rodeo Graham Jr., junior tight end Ivan Drobocky and junior offensive lineman Brockim Wicks. The senior quartet of defensive end Garrett Crawford, linebacker Herman Christophe IV, linebacker Anthony Britton Jr. and defensive back Tyrone Legette were all second team selections for SLU, as was sophomore kicker Riley Callaghan.
 
Mississippi State is in its first season under head coach Zach Arnett. The Bulldogs finished 9-4 a season ago, defeating Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida.
 
The Bulldog offense is led by preseason All-SEC quarterback Will Rogers. The senior is 2,478 yards shy of becoming the SEC's all-time leading passer and is the only quarterback in conference history with 1,000 career completions.
 
Preseason All-SEC linebackers Nathaniel "Bookie" Watson and Jett Johnson lead the MSU defense. With 115 and 113 tackles last fall respectively, Johnson and Watson were the top two tacklers in the conference in 2022.
 
On special teams, Mississippi State boasts one of the nation's most dynamic return specialists in Lideatrick Griffin. Griffin led the FBS with a 32.3 kickoff return average in 2022.
 
Southeastern will be playing Mississippi State for the second time in program history. The Lions fell, 34-10, in Starkville during the 2008 season.
 
SLU is 41-28-3 all-time in season openers. The Lions are 2-3 in the game's first season under head coach Frank Scelfo, including a 24-7 loss at UL Lafayette last season.
 
Since the program returned prior to the 2003 season, Southeastern is 0-28 versus FBS competition. Last fall, the Lions won, 35-14, at Jacksonville State, which was in the midst of a transition from FCS to FBS.
 
SLU will have two opportunities to break that trend in the season's first two weeks. The Lions will travel to South Alabama for a 4 p.m. contest Sept. 9 in Mobile, Alabama in the second of three straight Southeastern road games to start 2023. The Lions-Jaguars tilt will be seen on ESPN+ and can be heard on the Southeastern Sports Radio Network (Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, The Boss 103.7 FM/WFPR 1400 AM).
 
Season and single-game tickets for the 2023 home football season, which includes visits from HCU (Sept. 23), Tarleton State (Sept. 30), Lamar (Oct. 14), McNeese (Nov. 4) and Nicholls (Nov. 18) are available online at https://vivenu.com/event/2023-football-2klkar.
 
TICKETS
For ticket information, contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net. Southeastern will continue offering mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets for the 2023-24 season. All tickets will be available via e-mail or text message in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Football, follow @LionUpFootball and @Coach_Scelfo on X, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and follow lionupfootball on Instagram.
 
TOUCHDOWN CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the football program are encouraged to join the Touchdown Club. Lion football alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Touchdown Club and S Club (football) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern football program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
INSIDE SOUTHEASTERN FOOTBALL WITH FRANK SCELFO
The 2023 season of Inside Southeastern Football with Frank Scelfo is airing from its new home – Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux (305 CM Fagan Dr) in Hammond. Hosted by Scelfo and Allen Waddell, the hour-long radio show will air Mondays throughout the football season on Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM and The Boss 103.7 FM/WFPR 1400 AM.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of the 2018 football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.