Who: No. 20 LSU vs. Mississippi State

Where: Tiger Stadium

When: 6:05 p.m.

How to watch: ESPN2

Listen: LSU Sports Radio Network, 98.1 FM

What to watch for:

How does Danny Etling look in his first start?

Junior quarterback Danny Etling has been handed the keys to the LSU offense. LSU coach Les Miles named the former Purdue quarterback the starter on Friday for the Tigers’ Southeastern Conference opener.

Etling hasn’t started a college football game in two seasons, and his first start comes against a Mississippi State front seven that allows an average of 64 yards rushing per game.

Fournette back to “full speed?”

On Sept. 10, junior running back Leonard Fournette missed his first game as an LSU tailback.

Sophomore running back Derrius Guice picked up the slack, rushed for 155 yards and a touchdown. But for LSU, Fournette is still needed. Fournette has been bothered by an ankle injury since the fall camp, but Miles said his tailback participated in practice this week and should be ready to go.

Can the Tigers stop Nick Fitzgerald?

Mississippi State freshman quarterback Nick Fitzgerald is no Dak Prescott, but he’s already breaking records in Starkville. Against South Carolina last weekend, Fitzgerald rushed for 195 yards — a school record.
Jacksonville State quarterback Eli Jenkins gave the Tigers fits with a similar read-option style offense, much like Mississippi State. Jenkins rushed for 82 yards last weekend, Fitzgerald and Mississippi State employ similar schemes on offense, which the Tigers said helped prepare for the Bulldogs.