Arkansas’ 11 a.m. kickoff against Mississippi State on Saturday holds a lot more weight than it did when the season began.
The Hogs are staring at a potential three-game losing streak, which would bring them to .500 and put in serious jeopardy a winning record for the season. Coach Sam Pittman hasn’t lost to Mike Leach and the Bulldogs in their two seasons at the helm, but MSU is the favorite.
It’s also unclear whether Arkansas starting quarterback KJ Jefferson will play. If he can’t go, Cade Fortin and/or Malik Hornsby would get the bulk of the reps. That limits, likely, what the Razorbacks could do offensively.
On the other side of the ball, Will Rogers brings a Top-Five passing attack against the Hogs’ 124th-ranked passing defense.
It all adds up to trouble for Arkansas. No one would be shocked by a Hogs win – they are the better team when healthy – but the cards are stacked against them.