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Three biggest keys to the Arkansas-Mississippi State matchup
By Jessi Lee
Published:
Arkansas is coming off a huge 31-14 upset victory over No. 9 LSU, while Mississippi State is nursing a disappointing 31-6 loss to No. 2 Alabama.
The Razorbacks took down LSU in a stunning fashion last week with impressive showings on offense and defense. Hogs QB Brandon Allen and his offense collected 440 total yards and 4 TDs. On defense, Arkansas sacked Tigers QB Brandon Harris five times, held Tigers RB Leonard Fournette to 19 carries for 91 yards, and Hogs DB D.J. Dean garnered an interception.
The Bulldogs’ loss to Alabama was a tough one, and they lost WR De’Runnya Wilson to a frightening neck injury. According to head coach Dan Mullen, Wilson should be back on the field soon. His recovery may be quicker than that of the Bulldogs after the Week 11 loss.
Here are the biggest questions going into this Week 12 matchup:
1. Can the Bulldogs’ offensive line protect QB Dak Prescott? Prescott has been sacked 22 times for 146 yards on the season. Nine of those sacks were suffered against the Tide last week in Starkville.
Arkansas racked up five sacks last week against LSU. If the Bulldogs want to stand a chance to avoid a Hogs upset, this offensive line will have to do a better job of taking care of its quarterback.
2. Can Arkansas keep up the hot streak? After starting the season 2-4, the Razorbacks went on a 4-0 tear, including huge upset wins over Ole Miss and LSU and a surprising win in OT over Auburn. There is no question Arkansas is on a hot streak, but it won’t last forever.
The Hogs aren’t going to stop fighting, so scoring early won’t necessarily be enough for the Bulldogs. They’ll have to go hard for the full 60 minutes of play. We’ll see if they can handle the heat.
3. Can Mississippi State neutralize Hogs RB Alex Collins? Arkansas has the best offensive line in the SEC protecting both Allen and RB Alex Collins. This line has been a huge factor in Collins’ success.
Collins has 199 carries for 1,209 yards and 14 TDs on the season, and he is not easy to stop. LB Richie Brown leads the Bulldogs with 79 total tackles, more than half of which were for a loss, and he will be key to neutralizing Collins in Fayetteville.
