Starkville, MS (SportsNetwork.com) – The top-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs
will attempt to continue their undefeated run atop the SEC Western Division
standings on Saturday afternoon when they host the Arkansas Razorbacks at
Davis Wade Stadium.
It’s been a tale of two seasons for Arkansas in 2014. On one hand, it has made
easy work of its non-conference schedule with four wins in four tries,
including last week’s 45-17 drudging of UAB, but it has yet to get over the
hump in the SEC at 0-4, giving it 16 straight losses in the league dating back
to 2012.
“An opportunity to play No. 1 on the road in the evening will be a great
opportunity for our guys,” Arkansas coach Brett Bielema said. “It’s a
tremendous task for us but one I think our guys are excited to play in.”
Mississippi State’s meteoric rise to the top is especially impressive
considering it went into its Sept. 20 matchup at LSU unranked, but following a
34-29 win over the Tigers and two more against top-10 opponents Texas A&M
(48-31) and Auburn (38-23), it was able to soar to the top spot. The Bulldogs
recently took care of business in a tricky road game at Kentucky last
Saturday, 45-31, to move to 7-0 and 4-0 in the SEC West, a game up in the loss
column over Ole Miss (4-1), Alabama (4-1) and Auburn (3-1).
“I am pleased with last week’s game, (but) that game is behind us at this
point and we are moving on to a very difficult Arkansas team,” Mississippi
State coach Dan Mullen said. “With the style of defense that they play, they
have been very successful against a lot of high potent offense this
year…That presents a huge challenge for us this week.”
This marks the 25th all-time meeting between the teams, with Arkansas holding
a 15-8-1 advantage. The Bulldogs came away victorious last year in Little
Rock, 24-17.
The Razorbacks have pieced together an outstanding offensive attack this
season (39.1 ppg, 457.9 ypg) behind arguably the most potent running back duo
in the nation.
Jonathan Williams (122 carries, 830 yards, 10 TDs) and Alex Collins (118
carries, 747 yards, nine TDs) have split work evenly in the backfield to
outstanding results. It was Williams’ turn to shine in last week’s win with
153 yards and a score on 18 carries, although Collins still found time to get
his (15 carries, 82 yards, TD).
Brandon Allen’s job under center is easier than most quarterbacks with those
two tailbacks on his side. He’s done a good job managing the game this season,
completing 59.2 percent of his passes for 1,498 yards, 15 touchdowns and four
interceptions.
Keon Hatcher (25 receptions, 360 yards, three TDs), Hunter Henry (19
receptions, 253 yards, two TDs) and AJ Derby (16 receptions, 248 yards, three
TDs) are all dependable receivers for Allen to rely on.
Defensively, Arkansas has held its own, allowing 25.6 ppg and 353.0 ypg.
Martrell Spaight anchors the unit at linebacker with 72 tackles, nearly twice
as many as any of his teammates, to go with 5.0 TFL and an interception. Trey
Flowers (7.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks) and Darius Philon (8.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks) have
played well along the defensive line.
Mississippi State’s offense is largely to thank for its unbelievable success
this season, as it ranks ninth in the country in both scoring (42.3 ppg) and
yardage (531.4 ypg) while showing outstanding balance between the run (273.1
ypg) and the pass (258.3 ypg)
“We want to make people defend all 11 guys on the field,” Mullen said. “When
the running back is putting up big numbers and hitting explosive plays he
draws a lot of attention. That takes a lot of pressure and attention off of
[Dak] Prescott, which will allow him to make bigger plays. When you talk about
having a balanced offense, it is not always just about run and pass. It is
about putting guys on the field that they have to defend.”
Heisman Trophy candidate Dak Prescott has orchestrated the balanced attack to
near flawless results. He’s completing 60.3 percent of his passes for 1,694
yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions and has rushed for 664 yards and
10 scores. He has four games this season of at least 200 passing yards and 100
rushing yards, most in the nation.
Prescott’s dynamic playmaking ability has opened up plenty of holes for Josh
Robinson, who’s turned 121 carries into 887 yards and 10 touchdowns.
While De’Runnya Wilson (20 receptions, 349 yards) has emerged as Prescott’s
top target, especially in the red zone with six scores, the Bulldogs have no
shortage of receiving talent, as 10 different players have caught a touchdown.
If the Bulldogs have a weakness, it’s their total defense, which ranks last in
the SEC (439.6 ypg), but they play a bend-but-don’t-break style, surrendering
just 21.6 ppg thanks in part to 17 takeaways.
Benardrick McKinney is the quarterback of the defense and has racked up 45
tackles, 6.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
Preston Smith is also an outstanding playmaker with 8.0 TFL, 6.0 sacks, two
interception, two blocked kicks and a forced fumble. Richie Brown, Will
Redmond and Jay Hughes also have multiple picks for the ball-hawking unit.
