Mississippi State @ Arkansas preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 17, 2012 ) Arkansas 14, Mississippi State 45

Needing a win for a last-ditch run at bowl eligibility, Mississippi State will try to snap a three-game losing streak when it visits War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock to play Arkansas on Saturday. The Bulldogs need victories over the Razorbacks and arch-rival Ole Miss in the final two weeks to avoid missing the postseason for the first time since coach Dan Mullen’s first year in 2009. What won’t help Mullen’s cause against Arkansas is the fact that quarterbacks Dak Prescott, who leads the team in both passing and rushing, and Tyler Russell, who was the began the season as the starter, are considered day-to-day with shoulder and elbow injuries, respectively.

If neither experienced Bulldogs signal caller can go, the job will fall onto the shoulders of freshman Damian Williams, who played the final 10 minutes against Alabama and did not complete a pass (0-for-5). The mess under center could provide first-year Arkansas coach Bret Bielema with an opening for his first SEC win in his team’s final home game of 2013. The Razorbacks have lost seven straight, but should be relatively healthy coming off a bye week prior to this contest.

TV: 12:21 p.m., ESPN3. LINE: Mississippi State -1.5

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (4-6, 1-5 SEC): Disappointment is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to the Bulldogs’ fifth season under Mullen. All six losses have come at the hands of squads currently ranked in the BCS Top 25 -- five in the Top 12 -- and it’s hard to point the finger at a coach that has faced injuries at the quarterback position combined with that kind of schedule. When Prescott has played, he’s been the better option, averaging 171.3 passing yards and 80.2 rushing yards, but has also been plagued by the turnover bug -- throwing seven interceptions to go with seven touchdowns.

ABOUT ARKANSAS (3-7, 0-6): Year one under Bielema looked promising after a 3-0 start, but the once the reality of SEC play set in, it’s clear just how far the program has to go to return to its levels of recent success. The Razorbacks are 13th out of 14 SEC squads in both scoring offense (20.4 points per game) and scoring defense (31.4) and have yet to stay within one possession of a conference opponent in six defeats. One bright spot has been the ground game, which has broken 200 yards six times this season behind the efforts of Alex Collins (94.6 yards per game) and Jonathan Williams (78.3).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Mississippi State has never defeated Arkansas on the road, with an 0-6-1 record in Little Rock and an 0-3 record in Fayetteville.

2. A loss would send the Bulldogs to their first four-game losing streak in five seasons under Mullen.

3. Arkansas is the least penalized team in the conference, averaging 4.4 penalties per contest.

PREDICTION: Mississippi State 17, Arkansas 10