Hogs wary of Prescott, ‘Dogs
FAYETTEVILLE — Of its six Southeastern Conference Western Division opponents, Arkansas is less acquainted with Mississippi State, its opponent at 6 p.m. today here at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Arkansas (6-4, 4-2) is a slight favorite over Mississippi State (7-3, 3-3) in the ESPN telecast on an expected chilly night, temperature dropping from 32 degrees at kickoff into the low 20s.
One by one in the SEC West: Texas A&M and Arkansas have a Southwest Conference history from 1915 until Arkansas left the moribund league for the SEC after the 1991 season. The two schools resumed a nonconference rivalry (2009-11) before the Aggies left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012.
Arkansas occasionally played border rivals LSU and (especially) Ole Miss before joining the SEC. Auburn is a natural Arkansas rival as long as Gus Malzahn, an Arkansas native and former Razorback offensive coordinator, coaches the Tigers. Alabama being Alabama is everybody’s rival. But other than to instate Egg Bowl rival Ole Miss, Mississippi State seldom inspires ire in an opponent with border rival Arkansas no different. But it’s not lost on the Razorbacks that they have lost three straight to the Bulldogs since a 44-17 November 2011 rout in Little Rock under Bobby Petrino.
Fourth-year junior Arkansas defensive tackle Deatrich
Wise especially remembers heartbreakers the last two years, 24-17 in overtime in 2013 in Little Rock and 17-10 to the then-No. 1 Bulldogs last season. Will Redmond’s end-zone interception off Brandon Allen with 15 seconds left snuffed out hopes of a Razorback upset in Starkville, Miss.
Mississippi State could be bruised emotionally after losing 31-6 to Alabama last week while Arkansas rolled by LSU 31-14 in Baton Rouge, La.
“They might not be Alabama or Ohio State, but they are a really good football team,” Wise said. “They have a better record than we do. We have to e prepared for them.” Apparently they are. With his bowl-eligible Razorbacks on a four-game winning streak, coach Bret Bielema began this week announcing he would be “the humbler” to keep the Hogs’ heads from swelling while riveting focus on Mississippi State.
That announcement must have sufficed, Bielema acknowledged after the Hogs’ Tuesday practice, always their most physical workout of a Saturday game week.
“You know I haven’t had to” humble his Hogs, Bielema said. “They practiced very, very intensely.”
While Arkansas’ defense bottled up LSU Heisman Trophy candidate running back Leonard Fournette last week and forced the Tigers’ power offense to play left-handed, Mississippi State’s spread offense and scrambling run-pass quarterback Dak Prescott are the living ghosts of what haunted the Hogs in September nonconference upset losses to Toledo and Texas Tech and what the Hogs seldom stopped against Ole Miss though prevailing 5352 in overtime.
“Mobile quarterbacks, I guess, have been the D-line’s kryptonite,” Wise said.
Defensive end Karl Roesler remarked, “They are more of a spread team like Texas Tech and Toledo. We have had our troubles against those types of teams but we are looking forward to the challenge this week.”
The intense tackling drills that Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith installed last week against LSU, in part because of Fournette but mainly because Arkansas’ tackling was so abominable against Ole Miss, did not let up readying for Mississippi State.
“Pretty much mirrors the exact same thing as last week,” Arkansas sophomore nickel back Kevin Richardson said. “It’s not Leonard Fournette, but they do have Dak Prescott and running backs we have to prepare for.”
And they have 10 receivers and tight ends averaging from 10.0 to 20.5 yards a catch.
Allen, his considerably improved play now rivaling preseason first-team all-SEC quarterback Prescott for postseason conference honors, hasn’t forgotten last year’s Mississippi State game while concentrating on new Bulldog defensive coordinator Manny Diaz’s scheme.
“Obviously you learn from your mistakes in any game and last year is no different,” Allen said. “You watch film of yourself learning from your mistakes but they have a different D-coordinator, so watching a lot of film there is a lot of prep for what they are doing this year and how we can attack that.”