Game Predictions: Arkansas vs Mississippi State

BEN: The young and talented Arkansas secondary will have their hands more than full this week. It is hard to imagine a scenario where they can contain K.J. Costello and his receivers all game. Arkansas will need a lot of pressure from the D-Line and a very efficient offense. I think the first half will be close, but this MSU offense will be too much in the end.

Arkansas 24 Mississippi State 45

LUKE: Oh, I’m hoping this game’s just gonna get dumb. It’s the year for it. I’m banking on Arkansas’s improved open-field tackling to counter all of that YAC the Bulldogs had last week against LSU’s NFL-, injury-, and opt-out-depleted defense. Also, I think Barry Odom has actually seen a ton of game film of Mike Leach’s offenses falling flat against defenses that, you know, prepare for the Air Raid.

Arkansas 35 Mississippi State 33

ADAM: I actually think the Hogs have a good shot to pull off this upset, but I’ve been scarred by watching this offense for the past few years and just don’t trust them to hold up in a shootout yet. Dawgs 38, Hogs 28

JACOB: The always tough LSU defense has been so good for so long that I think there might have been an overreaction to the big win in Death Valley. There defense was decimated by injuries, opt outs, graduation and the NFL Draft. Despite the offense putting up 623 yards passing by K.J. Costello which was very impressive, there is absolutely no way they can sustain that each week. Pittman said earlier this week that they will be traveling 15 defensive backs to combat the Air Raid.
Mississippi State will have defensive issues as they did give up nearly 350 yards passing to a first time starter in Miles Brennan of LSU. I say watch out for Feleipe Franks to have a career day down in Starkvegas on Saturday.

Right now, I don’t know if I should go with the upset upset. Heck, I am anyway.

Hogs 42 Dogs 38