Looking at Bottom Line for Razorbacks Against Mississippi State?

Knee-jerk reactions to what has happened in first half of season may or may not be accurate

Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Xavian Sorey tries unsuccessfully to stop LSU running back Caden Durham in a game at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Despite a save of optimism by Arkansas fans before Saturday's game with Mississippi State, the bottom is line basically where it's been for over 20 years. There isn't a substatial difference and they're both trying to stay off the bottom of the SEC.

ThRazorback fans love to point out they've played Tennessee and LSU in back-to-back games. That's not toing to impress many Bulldogs fans, who just got through playing Georgia and Texas in a row. The only win out of those four games was the Hogs' ugly 19-14 win over the Vols.

At this point, the onoy way they could have backed up that win was at least being closer than 20 points at home and dominated from beginning to end the next week. What that 34-14 score did was make the win over Tennessee an anomaly.

Yeah, the Tigers shredded the Razorbacks' defense that badly. You can't use a gimmick defense more than once or teams are prepared for it. LSU took an experienced quarterback in Garrett Nussmeier, who dinked and dunked his way down the field.

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Caden Durham gets away from Stephen Dix against the LSU Tigers at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

When the Hogs didn't make tackles (which was way too frequently for comfort), they had problems defensively. State doesn't have nearly the level of talent the Tigers have, but they could create problems.

Maybe the biggest problem area is improvement. If the best game a team plays is at the first of September, that's going to make for a very long and cold winter starting in November. Folks I've known and respected their knowledge of the Bulldogs for over 50 years have told me they have improved.

True freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren is playing "like a redshirt sophomore" right now. That's coming off games against Georgia and Texas, remember. Everybody else isn't playing great right now, particularly at the offensive tackle spots.

But LSU showed Van Buren doesn't need a lot of time. He is very good and accurate on the shorter throws with a young group of receivers that aren't going to cause anybody to panic getting ready to play.

Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. (0) drops back to pass against Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Stewart (4) during the third quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. / Matt Bush-Imagn Images

"They're in every game and playing extremely hard," Hogs coach Sam Pittman said this week. "They have speed on their team, a lot of talent. Their quarterback is playing really well. I like their runners. They have a couple of good running backs. Their offensive line, coach [Cody] Kennedy has got those guys playing much better. They're talented at wide receiver. They have a lot of speed."

After listening to all the talk this week, it's hard to believe the Razorbacks won't win this game. But there is a game to draw comparisons with a game against a struggling Auburn team in 2021. We were told the Tigers couldn't throw the ball at all, then they proceeded to light up the Hogs' secondary.

The result was a 38-23 win over Arkansas. That was the best season in over a decade for the Razorbacks and they had a game where a team that didn't finish well at all beat them badly at Razorback Stadium.

This time, though, the game will be played in Starkville. Arkansas should win, but we've seen those best-laid hopes and plans go swirling down the drain before.

Then there's the whole weird history in this series. The Bulldogs knocked the Hogs out of the SEC Championship game in 1998 and a possible rematch with Tennessee a week after that famous game and an unbelievable fumble at the end giving the Vols a final shot.

It's swung both ways. In a wild back-and-forth quarterback battle between Brandon Allen and Dak Prescott, State blocked an Arkansas field goal attempt at the end for a win.

Then last year, the Bulldogs came into Fayetteville on homecoming weekend and won an incredibly ugly 7-3 game. the Razorbacks fired their offensive coordinator the next day going into a bye week. It really didn't help much after a win over Florida, but it provided hope.

Now the Hogs really need a win to keep hopes alive for a bowl game. Their schedule the rest of the way features a matchup against Louisiana Tech that's a penciled-in win and three other teams that have been ranked in the Top 10 this year.

Mississippi State is just looking for their first SEC win. It's a game of desperation, but the Bulldogs are improving and nobody seems to be paying mch attention to that.

HOGS FEED:

• Calipari, Payne reunited at Arkansas with ultimate level of respect

• Loss to LSU breakdown, former Razorbacks remember NFL cuts | 4th and 5

• Hogs racing toward top recruiting class with potential commitments

• Exploring Razorbacks' rich history with Bulldogs on Locked on Razorbacks podcast

• Hogs hoping for improved health as Kansas comes calling

• Subscribe and follow us on YouTube
• Follow HogsSI on X and Facebook