FAYETTEVILLE- After a month away from DWR Razorbacks Stadium, the Hogs return home on Saturday to host the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Saturday’s game with State is crucial for Arkansas if they have any hope of returning to a bowl game this season. The Hogs are 2-4 on the season with games remaining with Miss State, Florida, Auburn, Florida International and Missouri. To get to the magic number of six wins on the season, Arkansas will have an uphill battle for the remainder of the season.
Here are some pre-game notes on Friday’s game with Mississippi State as provided by the University of Arkansas:
MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS (3-3, 0-3 SEC)
AP/Coaches: NR/NR
Head Coach: Zach Arnett (New Mexico, ‘09)
Career Record: 4-3 (2nd season)
Record at Mississippi State: Same
• After four consecutive SEC games away from home, Arkansas returns to the friendly confines of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium to host SEC Western Division foe Mississippi State. Kickoff between the Razorbacks and Bulldogs is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, on ESPN.
• When Arkansas takes the field this Saturday, it will mark the team’s first home game in Fayetteville in 35 days (Sept. 16). The Hogs’ away stretch is the second-longest in college
football this season, with Coastal Carolina (37 days between home games) having the longest.
• Beginning with Mississippi State, Arkansas will play four of its final five regular-season games at Razorback Stadium, including three of its final four SEC contests. This season marks the first time since 1925 that Arkansas has played each of its first four conference games away from home.
• QB KJ Jefferson has completed 124-of-188 passes (66.0%) for 1,450 yards and 14 touchdowns while also rushing for 162 yards and a score through seven games this season. Jefferson, who has thrown for at least one touchdown in each of his last 18 games under center, ranks first on Arkansas’ career touchdown responsibility list with 82 (62 passing touchdowns, 20 rushing touchdowns).
• RB Rashod Dubinion has totaled 213 rushing yards with a touchdown on 65 carries (3.3 ypc) to go along with eight catches for 72 yards and a touchdown through seven games. Starting in place of injured RB Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, Dubinion ran for 26 yards on 14 carries (1.9 ypc) and caught one pass for a 14-yard touchdown in Arkansas’ three-point loss on the road at Alabama (Oct. 14).
• WR Andrew Armstrong has solidified himself as QB KJ Jefferson’s go-to receiver this season, leading the Hogs with 39 receptions for 485 yards and four touchdowns through seven games. The Texas A&M-Commerce transfer, who is in his first year at Arkansas, has recorded at least
one catch in 23 consecutive games dating back to 2021.
• LB Jaheim Thomas is the SEC’s leading tackler this season, racking up 69 total stops with 6.5 tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks. The transfer from Cincinnati has a team-leading five double-digit tackle efforts this year and has six double-digit tackle games for his career.
Note to Our Readers: Portions of this story were sourced directly from the University of Arkansas Office of Communications, Kyle Parkinson.
