Behind Enemy Lines with Mississippi State beat writer Stefan Krajisnik
Mississippi State is one of the few SEC opponents that Arkansas has a winning record over since they joined the conference 30-plus years ago.
The Razorbacks are 18-14-1 against their counterparts to the east, but the Bulldogs have owned the series as of late, winning four of the last six and eight of the last 11.
Arkansas won the last meeting in Fayetteville two years ago, 31-28.
Razorbacks Wire spoke with Mississippi State beat writer Stefan Krajisnik earlier this week and he broke down the program for us and what to expect out of Saturday morning’s contest.
Kickoff is at 11 a.m. on ESPN.
1. Mississippi State has been outscored 118-61 in three SEC losses. What has been the main issue defensively for the Bulldogs?
The main issue has been getting consistent pressure up front. Injuries haven’t helped, but Mississippi State is struggling to get pressure on quarterbacks despite having decent sack numbers. As the game progresses, the lack of depth up front becomes evident. It makes things harder on a secondary that isn’t great to begin with.
2. Will Rogers status' is still unclear at the moment. If he doesn't play, who should Arkansas be worried about quarterback-wise?
Mike Wright will be Mississippi State’s starter if Rogers can’t go. SEC fans likely remember him from his time at Vanderbilt where he was decent thanks in large part to what he did with his legs. Wright has played a good bit this year in packages designed for him. It’ll be interesting to see what that looks like over the course of an entire game.
3. Both teams are 0-fer in conference and need a win desperately. Which team do you think needs a win more in your opinion?
It’s a huge game for both, but I’d lean toward it being a bigger game for Arkansas. Mississippi State has the benefit of four easy nonconference games, whereas Arkansas dropped that game against BYU. Looking at the Razorbacks’ schedule, it’s hard to feel confident in them winning all of their final four games. With MSU, it won’t be easy, but between a trip to Auburn, a home game against Kentucky and a home game against Southern Miss, the path to six wins is feasible even with a loss Saturday.
4. Zach Arnett, what's the pulse around the fan base right now regarding his first year?
Things are definitely tense right now, mainly because AD Zac Selmon wasn’t hired when Arnett was promoted. Between that, MSU having the SEC’s worst 2024 recruiting class right now and this being a veteran team that’s about to lose a ton of production, things are shaky.
5. Score prediction?
I’ve got Arkansas winning 31-20. Against this MSU defense, I think Arkansas has a bit of a get-right chance on offense. I’m confident Wright can be productive if he’s the starter, but I need to see it to believe it still.
