Mississippi State football heads to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. Can the Bulldogs finally win an SEC game to snap their 16-game conference losing streak? Here's how they can do it...
Mississippi State has to flush their heartbreaking loss to Texas
Last week's loss to the Longhorns was excruciating, but there cannot be a hangover from that stunning outcome. The Bulldogs have to move past that letdown and take the field locked-in and ready to play their best in Fayetteville. Arkansas may not be good, but they're not bad enough (and State isn't good enough) for the Bulldogs to sleepwalk their way to a win. State needs to bounce back. And given Arkansas is also coming off a crushing loss (with far less to play for than State), being the locked-in team could be the difference in who wins and loses.
The Bulldogs need a dominant rushing attack
Arkansas is horrific on defense in all phases, but they're particularly awful at stopping the run. On the year, they're surrendering nearly 194 rush yards per game. They've allowed north of 200 rushing yards in five-straight games, and only once in those games did their opponent average less then 5.0 yards per carry. While Blake Shapen had the best passing game of his career last week and had the offense moving well without much support from the ground game, State is their most effective when they can punish teams with the run. Fluff Bothwell will be back on Saturday, and Davon Booth has performed well in his absence. They need to keep the chains moving against the Razorbacks.
Mississippi State needs to win the turnover battle
Arkansas has quietly had an impressive offense this season, but if there's one fatal flaw, it's been turnovers. They've committed 15 turnovers this season, tied for the 124th most in the country. Despite being largely brilliant, QB Taylen Green has thrown eight picks, the second-most in the SEC. This is a team that gives away the ball, and the MSU defense has been great about forcing turnovers. Those trends will need to continue in Saturday's matchup, and if it does, there's a great chance the Bulldogs will finally earn an SEC win.