Explosive receiver out for Mississippi State football vs Arkansas

Mississippi State football is hoping to finally snap its losing streak on Saturday when Arkansas comes to town. But unfortunately for the Bulldogs, if they're going to beat the Razorbacks, it looks like they're going to have to do it without one of their best players.

Freshman wide receiver Mario Craver out for Mississippi State football against Arkansas

On Wednesday, news broke that the Bulldogs will be without one of their top pass-catchers this Saturday against Arkansas. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported on "X" (Twitter) that true freshman wide receiver Mario Craver is out due to a lower body injury.

In the third quarter against Texas A&M last Saturday, Craver took a handoff around the edge and went down awkwardly, grabbing at his leg afterwards. He would exit the game and not return. Though we are still waiting official word from Mississippi State regarding his status, according to Zenitz, the Bulldogs will be without him this weekend.

How will the Bulldogs replace Mario Craver in the lineup?

Mario Craver had quickly become one of the most important pieces on the roster in Starkville. The true freshman was second on the team in receiving with 16 catches for 355 yards and three scores. The most explosive player on the offense, Craver was the go-to deep threat in the receiving room. His 22.2 yards per reception average is the second-best in the SEC.

Needless to say, losing him is a big blow to the offense. So how will State go about replacing him against Arkansas? Fortunately, they've got a few options. Craver primarily played on the outside, and in recent weeks, outside WR Kelly Akharaiyi has begun to breakout into the player fans thought he would be when he transferred in. Jordan Mosley is another outside WR who started at the beginning of the year and has had some big moments. Finally, true freshman and Starkville-native Stonka Burnside may finally see a bigger role in the offense. He saw his snaps increase once Craver went down against A&M.

While Craver was the most explosive player Mississippi State had on offense and had become a key piece in the offensive gameplan, the Bulldogs still have good enough options in the receiving corps to field a formidable passing attack.