Arkansas Razorbacks Face Mississippi State Bulldogs in Crucial SEC Showdown

The Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs are set to clash in a significant SEC matchup on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi. The game, scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET, will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

Both teams are looking to bounce back from recent losses to ranked SEC opponents. Arkansas, with a 4-3 overall record and 2-2 in the SEC, is coming off a 34-10 loss to LSU. Mississippi State, currently 1-6 overall and 0-4 in the SEC, is seeking to recover from a 34-24 loss to Texas A&M.

Mississippi State has had recent success against Arkansas, winning the last two meetings. The Bulldogs are aiming for their third consecutive victory over the Razorbacks, having won 40-17 two years ago and 7-3 last season.

The Bulldogs will be led by true freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., who has been one of the SEC’s top signal callers in recent weeks. Van Buren has thrown six touchdown passes in October, leading the league for the month. The Bulldogs’ passing attack has been strong, averaging 274 passing yards per game in October, which ranks fourth in the SEC for the month.

On the defensive side, Mississippi State’s safety Isaac Smith is a key player to watch. Smith is the only SEC player averaging double-digit tackles per game this season, with 11.3 tackles per game and a total of 68 tackles in 2024.

Arkansas’s offense, ranked 21st in the FBS with 455.1 yards per game, will face a Mississippi State defense that has struggled, ranking 13th-worst in total yards allowed per game. The Razorbacks’ star runner, Ja'Quinden Jackson, and their preseason All-American defensive lineman, Landon Jackson, will be crucial figures in the game.

The matchup also features familiar faces on both coaching staffs. Deke Adams, Arkansas’s defensive line coach, previously served in the same role at Mississippi State in 2019. Conversely, Mississippi State’s offensive line coach, Cody Kennedy, was with Arkansas from 2021 to 2023 before joining the Bulldogs’ staff this season).