Three Arkansas Razorbacks for Mississippi State football fans to know

Mississippi State football suffered yet another setback last week, losing to Texas A&M 34-24. However, the signs of life are there for the Bulldogs, especially on offense. They turn the page to Arkansas, as Mississippi State looks to pick up their first conference win and second win overall in the 2024 season. I've highlighted three Arkansas players that Mississippi State fans should be familiar with come kickoff time.

Running Back Braylen Russell

Starting running back, Ja'Quinden Jackson, has been listed out for this game. The player tasked with replacing Jackson is freshman running back, Braylen Russell. Russell looks like your prototypical running back from the 1970s. He is listed at 6'1" which is tall for a running back. The most surprising thing about him is his weight. His weight is listed at 253 pounds, which means he will be extremely difficult to bring down. Tackling is something the Bulldogs have struggled with this season, and if they want to get off the field, especially on third downs this week; they will have to swarm to the football to wrap up Russell.

Wide Receiver Andrew Armstrong

The second player to watch for is Andrew Armstrong. The good news for State is that he only has one receiving touchdown on the season which is tied for first on the team. The bad news is that he has 646 receiving yards on the season, and he is averaging 14 yards per reception. Mississippi State should load the box to stop the run which will provide some one-on-one opportunities in the game for Armstrong. If he has over 75 yards and a touchdown, I would predict that Arkansas won easily. State needs to neutralize him to have a shot to win.

Defensive Back TJ Metcalf

The matchup to watch here is Metcalf versus State's talented receivers. Michael Van Buren and his offense have shown that they can put up points on SEC competition. Metcalf will be tasked with blakenting one side of the field. On the year, he has 36 tackles and three interceptions. Depending on how he plays, this game will either be a shootout or Arkansas will slow State's offense to a screeching halt.