Hogs, Mississippi State Battle for Last Place in SEC West

Razorbacks, Bulldogs take field looking for their first conference wins of season

Author:
Jacob Davis
Updated:
Oct 20, 2023 4:51 PM EDT
Original:
Oct 20, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Coming into the 2023 season, many college football fans and analysts believed Mississippi State and Arkansas might be dark horses surprising teams in the SEC. It wasn't too big of a surprise as CBS Sports had the Razorbacks and Bulldogs both as trendy picks for sixth and seventh place finishes respectively.

Both programs returned strong backfields. Zach Arnett had an abundance of starters returning to the Bulldogs defense while also having quarterback Will Rogers and running back Jo'quavious Marks back as well.

The Razorbacks had one of the best backfields in college football returning in KJ Jefferson and Raheim "Rocket" Sanders. However, an early season injury suffered in week one has sidelined Sanders for much the schedule so far. According to a tweet by Alyssa Orange of the Pig Trail Nation, Sanders is reportedly rehabbing in Texas. That doesn't seem to indicate a quick return from the star running back either.

Although Mississippi State may have the better overall record at 3-3, schedules and outcomes have been a huge difference.

While the Razorbacks have yet to lose a game by less than 12 points in SEC play, the Bulldogs have faced a different fate. Their fans have endured two home games against LSU and Alabama, suffering defeat in both by an average of 25 points.

On the flip side, Arkansas has made each SEC opponent outside of Texas A&M have to work for their victories. A seven-point home loss to BYU nearly sent Northwest Arkansas into crisis mode after blowing two double-digit leads.

The Razorbacks then went on a terror of a four-game road stretch resulting in four more losses. Sitting at 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the SEC, Arkansas looks to snap a five-game losing streak to climb back into bowl contention.

To reach bowl eligibility, Arkansas needs to win four-of-five. The only road match-up will be against Florida at The Swamp, a place where the Razorbacks have never won. As for this week, the Hogs hold an 18-14 series lead over the Bulldogs. However, Mississippi State has won 8-of-11 dating back to the 2012 season.