Despite Mississippi State’s six-game losing streak, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said he won’t take the Bulldogs lightly when the schools meet Saturday afternoon in Starkville, Miss., in a Southeastern Conference clash.
Following its 34-10 loss at home last week to No. 8 LSU — a 16-10 game in the third quarter — Arkansas (4-3, 2-2) will meet Mississippi State (1-6, 0-4). But Pittman said Monday that his squad needs to ignore the Bulldogs’ record and pay close attention to their freshman quarterback, Michael Van Buren Jr.
The Bowie, Md., product has replaced Blake Shapen, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Florida on Sept. 21 and will seek a second redshirt.
Van Buren, a 6-foot-1, 200-pounder, has responded with strong performances and pocket poise in three straight starts. He has completed 61 of 114 passes for 792 yards and six touchdowns, with two interceptions, behind an offensive line that has allowed him to be sacked 11 times.
“They’re wide open (with Van Buren),” Pittman said of the Bulldogs’ offense. “If you press them, they’re going to throw deep. He can throw the deep ball … and make plays with his feet. He gives them opportunities.”
And the Razorbacks could face the Bulldogs without a key offensive weapon. Pittman said his top running back, Ja’Quinden Jackson (592 yards, 10 TDs), would be “very questionable” at best for the matchup.
“He’s been beat up, basically, in SEC play,” Pittman conceded.
The Bulldogs are 15-18-1 all-time against Arkansas but have won the past two meetings, including the lowest-scoring outing in the 34-game series last season – a 7-3 road win in Fayetteville.
First-year Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby does not have a victory over an FBS school yet — the Bulldogs beat FCS foe Eastern Kentucky 56-7 in Week 1 – and they sit with Auburn in the conference’s basement with 0-4 marks.
In a 34-24 loss to No. 14 Texas A&M last Saturday, the Bulldogs surrendered at least 30 points for the sixth straight game. At 33.3 points per game, their defense ranks third worst among Power 4 units.
“Our normal-down defense, first and second down, was as good as we’ve played all year long,” Lebby said Monday. “We created 16 third downs, (but) then not being able to get off the field after third down was the difference in playing really, really good defense.”
