MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama football program will begin the 2016 campaign on Saturday facing one of its toughest tasks of the year, playing a Southeastern Conference opponent on the road.  But Jaguar head coach Joey Jones not only is up to the challenge, he believes it has helped the team in its preparations for the upcoming season.

"I like the idea that our guys have been looking at playing these guys for the last six to eight months.  I think [playing an opponent of this level] raises the level [of preparation] in the offseason and gets guys more focused," he said.  "At the end of the day, I don't know if it [opening against an SEC school] is a good or bad thing.  Bottom line though is that I know that our guys have been in tune with what they're doing this summer to get ready for this game.

"We're excited about playing an SEC opponent who everybody knows and is familiar with.  We're excited about the possibilities this Saturday."

The Jags will visit Mississippi State on Saturday, with kickoff at Davis Wade Stadium scheduled for 11 a.m. (CDT).  In addition to being broadcast live on the SEC Network, the contest can be heard locally on both 99.5 The Jag and WRKH 96.1 FM and will be available for free worldwide as part of the iHeartRadio app.

Later in the fall, the Jaguars will travel to Louisiana State in the last of four non-conference games.  But first, the third match-up with MSU in a series that began in 2012.  The Bulldogs claimed the first meeting in Starkville 30-10 that season, then picked up a 35-3 decision in Mobile in September 2014.  This will mark the fifth time in program history South will take on a school from the SEC.

The opponent is not the only challenge on tap for the Jags — they return 11 starters from last year's squad, including a pair who are expected to miss this season (defensive linemen Tre Alford and Caleb Butler).

On offense, that means replacing three individuals on the offensive line who combined to start 103 games in their careers.  Seniors Steven Foster and Curtis Williams were starters on the unit last season, but among the other three projected starters only Noah Fisher has experience in that role having done it twice last fall.  Steve McKenzie and Dominic Esposito are slated to make their first starts against the Bulldogs.

As is Dallas Davis at quarterback.  The redshirt sophomore, who earned the job in preseason camp, saw action in six outings a year ago, completing 11-of-23 attempts with one touchdown pass.

Davis' advantage lies in the individuals at the skill positions around him.  Senior tight end Gerald Everett is coming off a season in which he led the Jaguars with 41 catches for 575 yards and eight touchdowns, scoring four other times via the rush while also throwing for one too.  Josh Magee averaged nearly 22 yards per reception as well, recording 23 catches for 504 yards and three scores, while Kevin Kutchera had nine receptions in 11 appearances his first year with the program.  Also expected to contribute in the passing game are Tyrone Williams, Raphael Barr, Sa'Mory Collier, Quinton Lane and Jordan McCray.

Davis will be joined in the backfield by a trio of upperclassmen.  Xavier Johnson set school season records with 956 yards rushing and 1,477 all-purpose yards — he scored a total of nine touchdowns — during the 2015 campaign, while Tyreis Thomas chipped in with 552 yards and Dami Ayoola added 107.

"We're young and I don't say that negatively," explained Thomas.  "Being that we're young, we have to depend on each other.  Our quarterback had some playing time last year and did well, our team likes him at that position.  Our receivers are bit young.  I feel that we have the greatest tight end.  We're young up front, but I really believe that being young isn't a negative thing.  We have seniors at positions that we should.  We have leadership from our coaches.  We have a lot of athletes all across the offense.  I feel that we're going to be able to grow each week throughout the season."

Defensively, South returns four of its top five tacklers from a year ago including a trio of all-Sun Belt Conference performers.  Jeremy Reaves posted 96 stops with eight for loss, six passes defensed to go along with two interceptions and three forced fumbles.  Kalen Jackson was credited with 72 tackles — which included a team-high 8½ behind the line of scrimmage — and a pair of interceptions, and Roman Buchanan supplied 67 stops while also picking off a pair of passes.  Devon Earl rounded out the group with a career-best 57 tackles, and he also forced three fumbles and returned two others for touchdowns.

Except for Earl, however, those individuals are all changing positions this fall.  Buchanan is making the move to linebacker for his senior season, with Jackson shifting to safety and Reaves transitioning to cornerback.

Others looking to make a bigger contribution on the Jag defense include Sean Grayer, Randy Allen and Chason Milner up front — the three combined to make 10 stops a year ago — as well as cornerback Quinton Dent.

"I feel that we are a confident team; not overly confident, just confident," Earl observed.  "I feel we know that we are talented, but at the same time we know that talent alone won't win you a game.  You need a lot more than talent."

Much like the Jaguars, the Bulldogs are looking to replace a number of starters — they bring back only nine — from a team that finished 9-4 a year ago.

Richie Brown returns at linebacker after leading the MSU defense with 109 total tackles last fall, helping the unit allow just 23.2 points and 391.2 yards per game; that figure included 13 stops behind the line with 6½ of those sacks.  Kivon Coman and Brandon Bryant contributed 76 and 63 tackles, respectively, from the safety positions, while A.J. Jefferson paced the squad with 13½ stops for loss in finishing with a total of 47 tackles.

Fred Ross recorded 1,007 yards and five scores on 88 receptions and Brandon Holloway led the team's running backs with 413 yards on the ground, with the latter adding 33 catches for 396 yards and five touchdowns.  The Bulldogs also are bringing back three of five starters on the offensive line — Justin Senior is the most experienced with 26 career starts — but will enter the contest with a quarterback with limited experience.  Damian Williams started one game in 2013 but was a redshirt last year, while last fall Nick Fitzgerald was 11-of-14 passing for 235 yards and three touchdowns playing behind Dak Prescott.

"There are a lot of unknowns, they've got a lot of new players playing," said MSU head coach Dan Mullen.  "They've lost some guys, and they have a new defensive staff.  When you look at that, you're looking at their players.  The schemes and personality are going to be different.  Both teams are very undefined right now, both teams are going to find their personality.  It is the first game for both teams.  No matter how many guys you have returning or lost, it's always a new team and a new year."

The first test for USA comes on Saturday, and it is a big one.  But the work done by Jones and the Jaguars isn't just in anticipation of a match-up with a Southeastern Conference foe, but a series of challenges throughout the fall.

"The biggest positive I've seen is a bunch of guys that have pulled together and are going in the exact same direction.  That's probably the most important thing to me that we had to get done [during the offseason]," Jones said of the Jaguars' preparation for the fall.   "We've done that and have a bunch of guys that care about each other and are headed in that direction.  I could talk about how I think we are better on defense and how I think we are better on offense running the ball, but the most significant thing is that we've come together and that's been great."

Mississippi State Athletics released game day information on Tuesday including:
• Each ticketed fan will be allowed to bring into the stadium up to two personal-size, clear water bottles or one clear reusable personal water bottle of 32 ounces or less.
• Cash-only kiosks throughout the stadium will be selling reduced price water. A 12-ounce bottle will cost $1, while a one-liter bottle will go for $5. There will be an abundant supply of bottled water available for sale.
• Cooling fan stations will be located at the concourse midpoint on each level of the stadium.
• Water bottle refilling stations will be located on the northeast and northwest corners of the ground level concourse, east side ground level and west side 300 level concourse.
• Air conditioned rest areas will be available at gates C and L.
• Stadium first aid stations will be staffed with additional trained EMS personnel.
• Davis Wade Stadium is now a clear air, clear bag facility. Davis Wade Stadium's new clear bag policy will be in effect Saturday. Only clear tote bags that do not exceed 12" x 6"" x 12" or one-gallon plastic freezer bags will be allowed in the stadium. In addition, small handheld clutch purses no larger than 4.5" x 6.5" will be permitted. Complete details are available on HailState.com/clearbag.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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