Gameday Roundup: Everything to know about NIU at Mississippi State

Check out our previews, updated weather reports, depth charts, tv listing information and more gathered together in one place here.

Mississippi State Defensive Lineman Kedrick Bingley-Jones (#22) during the game between the Alcorn State Braves and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

Mississippi State will be looking to start 4-0 for just the eighth time in school history and first since 2014.

That’s a pretty good omen about the rest of the season, if we’re comparing things to the Mississippi State that was the first-ever top-ranked team in the College Football Playoff rankings.

These Bulldogs have a long ways to go to reach the heights of that Bulldog team and it the path continues against a program building a reputation as a giant-killer/upset machine.

Northern Illinois, you may have heard, beat No. 5 Notre Dame last season in South Bend, Ind. and, 22 years ago today, beat No. 21 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

The Bulldogs should hope Mark Twain's famous saying about history not repeating, but rhyming instead isn't accurate. Because the rhyme could look like this:

The Crimson Tide? Sunk.
The Fighting Irish? Kerplunk.
The ‘Dawgs got punked.

Below you’ll find all of the information needed for today’s game, including an updated weather report, depth charts for both teams, tv listing information and predictions.

Preview Stories

• Northern Illinois at Mississippi State: Are the Bulldogs in for an upset?

• Five most winnable games left on Mississippi State’s schedule

• Stats, projections heavily favor Mississippi State against Northern Illinois

• Why a Northern Illinois upset against Mississippi State isn't likely

• Why Mississippi State should be on upset alert against Northern Illinois

• From Huskies to Bulldogs: Three NIU transfers ready for reunion game showdown

Updated Weather Forecast

Here's the updated weather forecast from the National Weather Service for Saturday:

"A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind."

Depth Charts

Here’s Mississippi State’s depth chart for today’s game:

Mississippi State's official depth chart vs. Northern Illinois | Mississippi State Athletics

Here’s Northern Illinois’s depth chart for today’s game:

Northern Illinois Week 4 Depth Chart | NIU Athletics

Mississippi State Captains

Mississippi State’s three captains for this week’s game against Northern Illinois will be DT Kedrick Bingley-Jones, offensive lineman Jacoby Jackson and safety Duke Johnson.

Week Four Captains 🫡 pic.twitter.com/EuARMlKGB8

— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) September 20, 2025

How to Watch: Northern Illinois at Mississippi State

Who: Northern Illinois Huskies (1-1) at Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-0)

When: 3:15 p.m., Saturday

Where: Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Miss.

TV: SEC Network

Radio: Live Radio

Stats: Live Stats

Series History: First meeting.

Last Meeting: n/a

Last time out, Bulldogs: def. Alcorn State, 63-0

Last time out, Huskies : lost to Maryland, 20-9

Predictions

Taylor’s Prediction

In summary, this game will be a lot closer than people think it will, but Mississippi State will win the game. You can read the full prediction here.

EA CFB 26 Simulation Results

Bill Connelly’s SP+ Projections

Projected winner: Mississippi State
Projected margin: 21.6
Win probability: 91 percent
Projected score: 35-13