Two high-powered offenses are set to face off on the gridiron in an intriguing SEC West battle as Mississippi State University hosts the University of Arkansas this Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium.
MSU is riding high after an important victory over No. 17 ranked Texas A&M University this past Saturday. Both the Aggies and Bulldogs were held scoreless through the first quarter, but in the second quarter, the Bulldogs put the pedal to the metal – scoring on offense, defense and special teams. 
Mike Leach’s squad destroyed the Aggies 42-24, and after the win, head coach Leach gave some of his famous marriage advice to SEC Network studio host and reporter Alyssa Lang.
The Arkansas Razorbacks are coming off of back-to-back losses against Texas A&M and the University of Alabama. In those two games, Arkansas allowed 72 total points. The Razorback’s defense has also allowed an average of 289.6 passing yards per game – something Leach’s Air Raid offense has an opportunity to expose come Saturday’s matchup.
In this week’s presser previewing the matchup against the Bulldogs, Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman discussed the talent of junior quarterback Will Rogers and the MSU offense.
“Obviously, Will Rogers is a problem,” Pittman said. “He is a really good quarterback. Their offense, what they do, they have a lot of talented receivers. There’s a reason they are 4-1 and ranked in the top-25. We’re excited to go play them.”
The Bulldogs are not short of talent at the wideout position, either. Redshirt senior Caleb Ducking and sophomore Rara Thomas continue to impress week after week. Ducking has hauled in 272 yards and six touchdowns, and Thomas currently ranks fourth in the SEC for receiving yards, with 359 during the first five games of the season.
At Monday’s press conference, Leach spoke about Thomas’ playmaking ability. 
“He’s dangerous when he’s got the ball,” Leach said. “He’s faster than he looks and he’s got a lot of range.”
MSU ranks 24th in the country in points per game – averaging a total of 38.2 points in the first five games of the season. Rogers is currently ranked first in the SEC in passing yards and may have an equally-talented quarterback on the opposing side Saturday in redshirt junior quarterback KJ Jefferson. However, it is still unclear at this point whether Jefferson will step on the field in Davis Wade Stadium after suffering an apparent head injury in last Saturday’s game against the University of Alabama Crimson Tide.
Even if Jefferson cannot play this Saturday against MSU, Arkansas is still loaded with talent – including running back Raheim Sanders, who has recorded 609 rushing yards and five total touchdowns this season. Although the Razorbacks have given up a high amount of yardage per game, the Razorbacks also put up an average of 458.6 total yards per game to combat that.
The key for the Bulldogs is to remain consistent both offensively and defensively. The Bulldogs were penalized 13 times for 137 yards against the Aggies but still found a way to throttle A&M. Limiting penalties and protecting Rogers are key factors that will determine the success MSU will have against Arkansas Saturday.
The Razorbacks will not be the only visitors arriving in Starkville this week. SEC Nation is headed to Starkvegas for the SEC West battle between the two talented squads.
The SEC Nation crew includes the likes of the show’s host Laura Rutledge, Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper, Jordan Rodgers and Tim Tebow. The Paul Finebaum Show will take place in the Junction live at 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. this Friday for #FinebaumFriday. On Saturday, Marty & McGee will be live from 8 to 9 a.m., followed by SEC Nation at 9 a.m.
The No. 23 ranked Bulldogs’ homecoming game against the Arkansas Razorbacks is set to kick off at 11 a.m. on the SEC Network.