Mississippi State football injury report for the game against Eastern Kentucky
College football season is back in Starkville as the Mississippi State Bulldogs kick off the Jeff Lebby era on Saturday night against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels from the FCS division. While there’s plenty of anticipation for the Bulldogs’ debut, they will be missing two starters in their opener.
Mississippi State football injuries
Wide receiver Kelly Akharaiyi and strong safety Corey Ellington will both be sidelined for Saturday’s game against Eastern Kentucky. Although a specific return timeline hasn’t been provided, it’s believed that neither player will be out for an extended period. Additionally, head coach Jeff Lebby mentioned that running back Jeffery Pittman is currently not with the MSU program.
Eastern Kentucky Colonels injuries
Eastern Kentucky will be without LB Kylan Robinson. Robinson, who was set to start for the Colonels, is out for the season. No other official injuries have been reported, though HC Walt Wells did say earlier this week that they’ve been a bit banged-up in the receiver room.
How will State’s injuries impact today’s game?
Though the losses of Akhariyi and Ellington are significant, Mississippi State should be able to get through their game with Eastern Kentucky without much trouble.
With Akharaiyi sidelined, outside wide receivers Jordan Mosely and Trent Hudson will need to step up. This also creates an opportunity for freshman wideouts Stonka Burnside and Mario Craver to see more playing time early in the season. The Bulldogs have plenty of talent and depth in their receiving corps, so they shouldn’t have trouble getting their pass-catchers involved on Saturday.
Hunter Washington will step in as the starting strong safety in place of Ellington. Washington and Ellington competed for the starting spot late into fall camp, and Washington brings previous starting experience to the role. While there are some concerns about the Bulldogs’ secondary, with EKU facing their own issues in their receiving corps, MSU should be able to manage Ellington’s absence.
