2024 Bulldog Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 8

Mississippi State is looking for its third straight win over the Razorbacks.

Nov 18, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman during the fourth quarter against the FIU Panthers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas won 44-20. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports / Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Much like Mississippi State in 2023, Arkansas took a step back, finishing with a 4-8 record with only one SEC win over Florida. MSU only had one conference win last year, and it came against the Razorbacks.

Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman was on the hot seat to end the season, and surprisingly, the former Georiga offensive line coach was retained. However, the pressure is high for Pittman to perform this year.

Here's an early look at Arkansas as we continue to preview Mississippi State's opponents for the upcoming season.

Offense

Last season, the Razorbacks' offense was putrid under Dan Enos despite having two wildly productive players: quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Rahiem Sanders. Both guys struggled with injuries throughout the season, but even when healthy, the offensive scheme was bland and did not showcase their talent.

Enos was fired before the end of the season, and Jefferson (UCF) and Sanders (South Carolina) entered the transfer portal. The Razorbacks will get a fresh start on offense, and a familiar face will call the plays as their former head coach, Bobby Petrino, has returned to Fayetteville.

Petrino spent last season at Texas A&M but was not retained by the Aggie's new coach, Mike Elko. Arkansas hit the transfer portal hard and landed their likely starting quarterback, Taylen Green.

Green spent last season at Boise State, and like Jefferson, he is a dual-threat quarterback. He passed for 1,752 yards, threw 11 touchdowns to 9 interceptions, and rushed for 436 yards and nine touchdowns.

The Razorbacks also landed a productive running back out of the portal in Utah running back Ja'Quinden Jackson. Last season for the Utes, he rushed for 797 yards and four touchdowns.

The Razorbacks have a good core of pass catchers for Green as they added an interesting piece from the transfer portal and returned a pair of productive players. Starting with Tyrone Broden (Bowling Green), who is an impressive 6-7 and was solid last season, posting 15 catches for 109 yards and scoring three touchdowns.

A key returning receiver is Andrew Armstrong (56 catches, 746 receiving yards, and five touchdowns), who was the best deep threat option for Jefferson, and he seems poised for a breakout season. Arkansas has a history of producing good tight ends, and Luke Hasz appears to be the next.

During his freshman season, Hasz caught 16 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns. The Razorbacks will undoubtedly be better on offense in 2024, but will they be good?

They could and have a solid core to build around, but it is a tall order for Petrino.

Defense

Defensively, the Razorbacks were not bad a season ago, and they retained defensive coordinator Travis Williams. However, Arkansas did lose productive players to the transfer portal, notably linebacker Chris Paul Jr. (Ole Miss), who made 74 tackles and two sacks a season ago.

However, the Razorbacks added some exciting pieces from the transfer portal, and linebacker Xavier Sorey Jr. (Georgia) seems like Pauls's replacement.

The former 4-star recruit made 19 tackles and a sack last season for UGA. After a terrific season last year, Anton Juncaj (UAlbany) was also brought into the fold as the defensive end racked up 15 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss.

The question is whether Juncaj can make the jump to SEC football, where the trenches are on a different level. However, they do return a long-time productive pass rusher, Eric Gregory, who has 6.5 career sacks.

Experience is critical on the offensive and defensive line, and Gregory has a wealth of it. Safety Hudson Clark will also be back after making 50 tackles, grabbing an interception, and deflecting four passes.

This unit will be solid for the Razorbacks because they have a solid roster, and their defensive coordinator is a rising star.

Schedule

Arkansas finished 4-8 last season. While the Razorbacks will be better, they will still finish near the bottom of the SEC and will likely be looking for a new head coach.

Outlook

This is one of two home SEC games (Florida) that MSU must win to reach a bowl. It will be challenging for the Bulldog offense to go against a stingy defense, but head coach Jeff Lebby can scheme up points.

State will likely win this game, but the Razorbacks have the potential to exceed expectations.

The Game

When is the game?

October 26th

What time is the game?

Game is scheduled to be played in the early Saturday window (11 a.m. – noon)

What channel is the game televised on?

TBA.

Where is the game played?

Starkville, Miss.

What is the series history?

Arkansas leads the all-time series, 18-14-1.