After opening the season on the road against San Diego State, the Arizona football team will follow up with its home opener against Mississippi State on Sept. 10 as former Washington State head coach Mike Leach enters his third season with the Bulldogs. This will mark the first time these two teams have ever faced off.

Last season, Mississippi State went 7-6 overall and 4-4 in conference play before getting blown out, 34-7, by Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl.

The Bulldogs return quarterback Will Rogers who passed for 4,739 yards with 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season. They were No. 2 in passing yards in the SEC last year, compared to finishing dead last in rushing yards and that should continue this season with Leach guiding his pass-heavy offense.

In the backfield, Mississippi State returns to the two leading rushers in Jo’quavious Marks and Dillon Johnson. The two of them combined to rush for 901 yards last year, but they also finished No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, on the team in receptions as Marks caught 83 passes and Johnson caught 65 passes.