Chess Match Between Hogs, Mississippi State This Week

It's not just the head coaches, but even coordinators getting in on the fun

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Oct 6, 2022 7:13 PM EDT

In this story:

Arkansas Razorbacks

Mississippi State Bulldogs

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Coaches spend more time finding stuff to worry about than anything.

During the season it gets into sending messages back and forth ... through the media.

Arkansas and Mississippi State have been doing it all week before their matchup Saturday morning in Starkville, Miss.

Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman has mentioned a couple of times Bulldogs' defensive coordinator Zach Arnett's creative use of blitzes.

KJ Jefferson-Cincinnati — Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson signals to teammates during a 31-24 win over Cincinnati in the season opener in Razorback Stadium on Sept. 3, 2022.

"Coach Pittman has probably seen me on the sideline with my knees shaking when I call some of those blitzes. He’s probably trying to goad me into calling a few more because they’ve probably got some plays dialed up for it."

Five games into the season there aren't any surprises in what teams are going to do. They aren't going to change their DNA at this point.

Mississippi State coach Mike Leach pointed that out in his press conference Monday.

"It would be difficult to do in a week," he said.

Now WHO is on the field trying to do it is another story completely. That's why Pittman doesn't know if quarterback KJ Jefferson is going to be cleared to actually play in the game after a head injury.

Obviously they want him on the field. If they don't, well, they would like for the Bulldogs to waste a lot of time preparing for backups Cade Fortin and Malik Hornsby in practice.

"I anticipate he’s going to run out there on the first snap and be just fine," Arnett said this week.

So did Bulldogs coach Mike Leach.

Pittman would love to be avoiding all this drama around the starting quarterback. It's likely the uncertainty. Coaches like to plan things in detail.

"We don't have a clue," Pittman said on his radio show Wednesday night.

That's in the hands of other people. He did get Jefferson at practice Wednesday, which allows him to not bend his rules to have him on the plane to Starkville.

It's obviously the biggest question mark.

Mississippi State's preparing for him to be fine and come trotting out on the field when the Hogs get the ball for the first time.

Raheim Sanders-South Carolina — Arkansas Razorbacks running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders runs through a tackle by South Carolina's Terrell Dawkins on Saturday at Razorback Stadium. (Michael Morrison / allHOGS Images)

Which could be one of those messages sent to Arkansas coaches for whatever reason. Let them think they don't know Fortin or Hornsby.

Don't buy that, though.

The guess is they've had folks pouring over whatever film they can find on both of them.

But knowing the running game is what the Hogs want to do.

And probably what they will have to do and that makes no difference who's behind center.

The Hogs will play Mississippi State on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. on the SEC Network and fuboTV. You can also hear the game online at HitThatLine.comand on the radio at ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.