2023 Mississippi State football summer opponent preview: Arizona Wildcats

Mississippi State football should watch out for these Arizona Wildcats

There’s plenty of intriguing offensive talent on the 2023 Arizona Wildcats roster.

That’s something the Mississippi State Bulldogs will need to keep in mind as they head into this game. This team has shown that it can score points.

Of course, as previously mentioned, MSU has demonstrated that it can slow the Wildcats down. And if the Bulldogs are going to get a solid home win over Arizona, Arnett and the Mississippi State football team will need to account for the following Wildcats:

Keep an eye on these three Arizona Wildcats

• Jayden de Laura – There’s a pretty good chance that the Bulldogs will have their hands full trying to contain quarterback Jayden de Laura. In 2022, de Laura managed to throw for 3,685 yards and 25 touchdowns while also adding four more scores on the ground. He’s got some mobility and is willing to take some chances throwing the ball around. He could pose a problem for MSU. Limiting his impact should be a high priority for Matt Brock and this defense.
• Michael Wiley – Of course, it’s not enough that Arizona would have a good quarterback. They’ve also got a good running back in Michael Wiley. This versatile playmaker ran the ball for 771 yards and 8 touchdowns all while averaging 6.8 yards per carry. In addition to that, he was a factor in the passing game as he caught 36 passes for 349 yards and three more touchdowns.
• Jacob Cowing – But Wiley isn’t the only dangerous receiving threat on Arizona’s roster. Because of course he isn’t. Jacob Cowing is a dangerous receiving threat that could really test Mississippi State’s defensive backs. At 5-11 and 175 pounds, it seems likely that Cowing won’t be a physically imposing receiver in this contest, but he hauled in 85 passes for 1,034 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Arizona has some solid talent to attack through the air. And that’s concerning.