Mississippi State vs Arkansas: Three Storylines to Follow This Weekend
Mississippi State travels to Fayetteville this weekend to take on Arkansas to kick off a two week road trip following their bye week.
The Bulldogs (3-3 overall, 0-3 in SEC play) are looking for their first conference win while the Razorbacks (2-5 overall, 0-4 in SEC play) are looking to get back on track following a string of close losses. With that being said, here are three storyline to follow leading up to this weekend's game.
Bulldog Defense vs Arkansas Offense
The Bulldogs defense this season has shown signs of struggles. They rank 11th in the SEC in both points allowed (29.5) and yards allowed (395.2 yards per game). However, they rank third in the conference in tackles (486), which could help against a mobile quarterback threat such as Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson.
Bulldog head coach Zach Arnett brought up Arkansas' rushing game during a midweek teleconference, pointing out that they could be a good running team despite the Razorbacks' average rushing yards being less than half of what it was last season.
Mississippi State vs. Arkansas, 2022.
“Arkansas runs the ball well, they always have under Coach Pittman,” Arnett said. “I don’t think it’s an accurate representation of called run plays with the ways and stats are compiled these days. Sacks count against it. They re going four four yards a carry when you just look at rushing stats.”
Will Rogers' Status
The status of Bulldog quarterback Will Rogers is up in the air, who was injured on Oct 7 in their win against Western Michigan. Arnett said that Rogers is on a day-to-day evaluation (along with their other injured players), with backup Mike Wright expected to take the starting role if Rogers is unable to play Saturday.
During this season, Rogers has a 61.4% completion percentage with 1,275 yards, along with ten touchdowns and four interceptions. Under the new coaching transition, Rogers has struggled in conference play, throwing for 54.4% completion percentage with two touchdowns and four interceptions.
If he is able to play Saturday, it will be interesting to see how well he fares against a struggling Arkansas team on the road.
SEC West Standings
Whoever loses this game will likely be cemented to the bottom of the SEC West. Arkansas currently sits at last with a 0-4 conference record. A loss to the Razorbacks could put the Bulldogs at the bottom of the division, who are also winless in conference play at a 0-3 record, meaning that a one team is guaranteed walk away with their first conference win on Saturday.
Although the Razorbacks have been playing better than the record indicates, it will ultimately come down to if Arkansas can hold on for a win. Four of the last five losses for the Razorbacks have been determined by one possession and Arkansas is 5-13 in one possession games under head coach Sam Pittman.
