Missouri State Bears 2026 Preview
The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 138 college football team preview series with the Missouri State Bears 2026 Season Preview. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) break down the 2026 Missouri State Bears roster and what to expect in Conference USA this season. Can new head coach Casey Woods carry his SMU offensive pedigree into year two of the Bears’ FBS era? Was that 7-6 finish in 2025 the real ceiling, or just the floor for what Missouri State becomes in Conference USA?
Can offensive coordinator Mark Cala get more out of an offense that finished 64th in total offense but a surprising 16th in passing last fall? Which transfer wins the quarterback job in an open competition, and does UTEP arrival Skyler Locklear have the inside track under his old coordinator? Can new defensive coordinator Jack Curtis fix a unit that ranked 78th in total defense while returning just 44% of its production? Does edge rusher Dylan Brooks give the Bears a real pass-rush jolt after transferring in from Kansas? How brutal is a non-conference gauntlet that opens at Texas A&M and runs through a road trip to SMU? And where’s the betting value on the Missouri State Bears win total, Conference USA odds and College Football Playoff chances? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience.
Casey Woods Takes Over A Rising Missouri State Program
The Missouri State Bears 2026 preview opens on a brand-new staff and a program on the way up. First, Casey Woods takes over as head coach after four seasons as SMU’s offensive coordinator. Then the guys weigh what that ACC pedigree means for a roster settling into full FBS membership. Meanwhile, the hot-seat card reads a patient 1 out of 10 for Woods in year one. Because he inherits a winning culture, the arrow points up in Springfield. The crew breaks down why this hire fits where the Bears are headed. They also flag how much of the roster Woods has to rebuild.
The backdrop makes the move even more interesting. To begin, Missouri State went 7-6 in 2025, its first season at the FBS level in Conference USA. From there the Bears stacked one-score wins over Marshall, Liberty and New Mexico State before a bowl loss to Arkansas State. Because that first FBS year beat expectations, the bar moves up in year two. Now the guys ask whether Woods can hold the momentum through heavy roster turnover. Next they map the schedule spots that decide a bowl push. They also stress the exact games that tell you if this jump is real.
Mark Cala’s Offense And The Quarterback Battle
The offense is where this preview gets fun. Last fall Missouri State finished 64th nationally in total offense, so the group was already respectable. First, the passing attack ranked a strong 16th in the country, which hands new coordinator Mark Cala a real foundation. Then the guys dig into the run game, which sat 118th and clearly needs work. Because the Bears return just 25 percent of their offensive production, plenty of new faces have to step up fast. From there the crew maps how Cala keeps a pass-first identity while the ground game grows. They also weigh whether continuity in the passing game speeds up the climb.
At quarterback the guys walk through an open competition. Missouri State added Skyler Locklear, a senior transfer from UTEP by way of Austin Peay, and he arrives with a tie to his new coordinator. Because Cala coached him before, Locklear brings a head start on the system. Still, the guys stress the job is not settled heading into fall camp. Next they weigh the returning targets, with wideouts James BlackStrain and Jmariyae Robinson back in the fold. Then they flag the portal math, where the Bears landed zero transfers above a .85 grade. That churn is why the guys keep the offensive ceiling in check.
Jack Curtis And The Defensive Rebuild
The defense carries the bigger rebuild on this roster. Missouri State finished 78th nationally in total defense in 2025, with the scoring defense down at 93rd. First, new coordinator Jack Curtis has to raise the floor on a unit that gave up too many points. Then the guys get into how much churn there really is, because the Bears return just 44 percent of their defensive production. From there they weigh the returning pieces, led by linebacker Jared Lloyd and defensive backs Dylan Dixson and Christian Ford. Meanwhile the rest of the two-deep leans on fresh arrivals. That mix is a lot to sort out before Week 1.
The portal has to carry plenty of the load here. First the guys highlight edge rusher Dylan Brooks, a transfer in from Kansas who should juice the pass rush. Then they weigh a defensive recruiting class that graded out around 131st nationally. Because Conference USA throws explosive passing offenses at you week after week, the secondary has to gel quickly. After that the crew asks whether Curtis can squeeze fast growth out of a young group. They stress this side of the ball decides how many close games Missouri State can steal. From there the projection starts to take shape.
The Missouri State Bears 2026 Schedule And Win Total
The 2026 slate has real teeth to it. First, Missouri State opens on the road at Texas A&M for a massive Week 1 payday in College Station. Then the Bears host Lindenwood before a home date with Marshall. From there comes a trip to SMU, so the non-conference draw is genuinely brutal. Next the Conference USA grind takes over with Western Kentucky, reigning champ Kennesaw State and a road game at Delaware. Meanwhile the back half brings Sam Houston, FIU, New Mexico State and Jacksonville State. They also flag a home finale against Liberty that could swing the bowl math.
Then they close it out where the betting value lives. The Missouri State Bears win total sits at just 4.5 games, so the guys dig into that low number hard. First they weigh a 7-6 team against a schedule that front-loads the toughest opponents. Then they get into the Conference USA odds at +2800 and the +50000 College Football Playoff long shot. Because so many road games look like coin flips or worse, both hosts lean hard toward the under. After that they walk through the handful of games that have to break right. Finally they hand you the read they trust on the Bears this fall.
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Podcast Chapters
00:00 Download the SGPN App Today!
02:01 Welcome To The Missouri State Bears Preview
07:59 Ryan Beard Departs, 2025 Season Recap
13:19 Casey Woods Takes Over At Head Coach
18:23 Mark Cala Takes Over The Offense
25:38 Jack Curtis Takes Over The Defense
29:39 Harbell’s Sports Bar And Plaster Stadium
36:14 Bobby Petrino’s Legacy And Hot Seat Rating
40:28 Schedule Breakdown: A&M, Lindenwood & SMU
45:26 Post-Bye Slate: Western Kentucky Through Jacksonville State
50:27 Locking In The Win Total
51:45 Dream Schedule Additions And Sign-Off
