A frustrating day for the Hogs last time out saw Alabama run away from them in the fourth quarter to drop them to 3-2.
By Steve Wright
Follow @14powerscom
It doesn’t get any easier on Saturday as Mike Leach and his air raid offense comes to town with the 4-1 Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Here are the three keys to a Razorback victory:
The Health Of KJ Jefferson
There is nothing as key to this game as the health of Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson. Jefferson means as much to this team as any quarterback does to his squad in the nation. He is effective with his feet, and his ability to sling the ball deep will be huge against this MSU defense. Jefferson, however, banged his head while being tackled in the fourth quarter against Alabama and didn’t return. If Jefferson is out, the South Florida walk-ok transfer Cade Fortin will get the start. Fortin is not Jefferson.
No Non-Offensive Touchdowns
The Bulldogs have more than enough to score points with their wildly effective passing game. That means that stopping them from scoring in other ways is even more vital than it is usually in a football game. Texas A&M found this out the hard way on Saturday as the Bulldogs scored two non-offensive touchdowns, one from a blocked field goal and the other a pick-six, as Mississippi State rolled to a 42-24 win in a game where they forced four turnovers. Arkansas simply cannot be loose with the ball against this team.
Stay On The Right Side Of The Scoreboard
This is important if Jefferson plays and imperative if he does not. The MSU defense is just ok, they have given up 14 touchdowns, and teams have been able to both run and pass on them at times, depending on how they want to attack. The issue is that the Will Rogers-led MSU passing game can quickly send a game out of hand. If they score a few times and get scoreboard pressure applied, it will quickly become a problem for the Hogs.
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