RUSTON, La. – The 2021 Louisiana Tech football season officially kicks off on Saturday as the LA Tech Bulldogs take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss., at 3 p.m. CT inside Davis Wade Stadium.
 
ABOUT LA TECH (0-0)
Louisiana Tech returns 53 letterwinners, including 18 starters, and added 36 newcomers to its to 2021 roster. Tech brings back 10 of its 11 defensive starters from the 2020 season, headlined by 2020 Freshman All-American linebacker Tyler Grubbs and 2020 First Team All-Conference USA defensive back BeeJay Williamson. LA Tech returns 15 of its 16 leading tacklers from the 2020 campaign, including its top four tacklers in Grubbs (99), senior linebacker Trey Baldwin (85), Williamson (56) and senior linebacker Ezekiel Barnett (49).
 
Tech returns five starters on the offensive side of the ball in junior offensive linemen Abraham Delfin and Joshua Mote, senior wide receiver Isaiah Graham, junior wide receiver Griffin Hebert and graduate quarterback Luke Anthony. Four offensive newcomers are projected to start on Saturday in graduate quarterback Austin Kendall, graduate running back Marcus Williams Jr., and graduate offensive linemen Chris Fournier and Kellton Hollins.
 
Head coach Skip Holtz enters his ninth season at the helm of the LA Tech football program. Holtz has led Tech to seven straight bowl games and is one win away from his 150th career win as a FBS head coach.
 
ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (0-0)
Mike Leach enters his second season as Mississippi State's head football coach. Leach's program returns 15 of its 22 starters from last season, including eight on offense and seven on defense. Quarterback Will Rogers finished last season with a 69.1 completion percentage, the second highest by a true freshman in FBS history. Running back Jo'quavious Marks collected 60 receptions last season, which tied for the most in the country among freshmen.
 
Mississippi State finished the 2020 campaign with a 4-7 overall record. MSU ended its season with a 28-26 win over Tulsa at the Armed Forces Bowl.

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Sept. 4
Time: 3 p.m. (CT)
Location: Starkville, Miss.  
Venue:  Davis Wade Stadium
                Surface: Latitude36
 
SERIES HISTORY
Series: Mississippi State leads, 11-3
                In Ruston: Series tied, 1-1
                    Last: (2017, Mississippi State won, 57-21)
                In Starkville: Mississippi State leads, 10-2
                    Last: (2018, Mississippi State won, 45-3)

HOW TO FOLLOW
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Audio: LA Tech Sports Network (KXKZ 107.5 FM)
Twitter Updates: @LATechFB
Instagram Updates: @latechfb
 
TV/RADIO COVERAGE
TV: ESPNU
PxP: John Schriffen
Analyst: Rene Ingoglia
 
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network (KXKZ 107.5 FM)
PxP: Malcolm Butler
Analyst: Teddy Allen