Bulldogs brace for challenge of Jefferson, the Razorbacks
Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson has the look of a linebacker when standing behind the center.
At 6-3, 245 pounds, Jefferson can be an imposing figure to opposing defenses.
Jefferson can be a dangerous Razorback to deal with at times and that’s the challenge for defensive coordinator Zach Arnett and the Mississippi State Bulldogs today when the two teams meet in Fayetteville at 3 p.m.
“We’ll have to put on some additional padding or something,” Arnett said when considering how to stop Jefferson. “He runs around you, over you and through you.”
Jefferson, a Mississippi native from Sardis, has completed 110-of-178 pass attempts for 1,657 yards with 15 touchdowns and adds 419 yards on the ground and five more scores.
The potential of Jefferson to hurt teams with his arm and legs has been something to consider of the MSU defensive staff this week.
“We had better be ready because he’s going to bring it,” State defensive line coach Jeff Phelps said. “He’s a big guy who can run. He can throw the ball too. He has a nice little touch on the ball and takes strikes down the field. Anytime you have that, it’s a dangerous combination.
“We are going to have our work cut out for us. It sounds like a broken record, but that’s the type of football we play here in the SEC so we need to step up.”
It’s not just Jefferson that the Bulldogs must stop as Arkansas has four players with at least 300 yards rushing. Trelon Smith leads the Razorbacks with 459 yards on 90 carries.
As the fourth best rushing offense in the country at 250 yards per game, Arnett knows it won’t be an easy task for MSU to slow down head coach Sam Pittman’s Arkansas unit.
“There are a lot of sleepless nights with the defensive staff because they can impose their will on you that way and march the ball down the field,” Arnett said. “We have quite the challenge ahead of us.”
The Razorbacks may run, but there’s no question that the Bulldogs are best through the air.
Led by sophomore quarterback Will Rogers, MSU has produced 370.9 yards passing per game. Rogers has completed 327-of-435 pass attempts for 2,890 yards and 19 touchdowns with only seven interceptions.
“I think he’s done a good job,” State head coach Mike Leach said of Rogers. “He continues one step at a time and has really improved. Along with that, it’s hard to gauge sometimes because the improvement of the receivers, the offensively line and the running backs contribute to Will’s improvement.”
Today’s Southeastern Conference Western Division outing will be a matchup of 5-3 teams with the winner becoming bowl eligible. The game can be seen on the SEC Network.