Mississippi State looks for a second straight win to start the 2023 season Saturday as the Bulldogs (1-0) welcome Arizona (1-0) to Davis Wade Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on SEC Network. Here are five keys to victory for MSU.

Contain dual-threat quarterback Jayden de Laura

Last week’s opponent, Southeastern Louisiana, used two quarterbacks but started with Zachary Clement, the more mobile of the two. While Clement can move around in the pocket and escape it when he needs to, de Laura will present a much more formidable challenge for defensive coordinator Matt Brock and company.

In 2022, de Laura was 14th in the country in passing yards with 3,685 and threw for 25 touchdowns. He struggled against the Bulldogs, though, completing barely half of his passes with three interceptions. MSU also completely stopped him when it came to running the football.

This year, de Laura still has receivers Jacob Cowing and Tetairoa McMillan at his disposal, as well as a quartet of running backs in Michael Willey, DJ Williams, Jonah Coleman and Rayshon Luke. That means the Bulldogs’ secondary, the most inexperienced part of their defense, will need to be on its toes and keep de Laura in check.

Penetrate up front

MSU’s defensive line and linebackers were largely in control against Southeastern Louisiana, but Arizona has two of the Pac-12’s best offensive tackles with Jordan Morgan (325 pounds) and Jonah Savaiinaea (330 pounds).

Nose guard Nathan Pickering (three quarterback hurries last week), defensive end De’Monte Russell (seven tackles against the Lions) and defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy (combined with linebacker Nathaniel “Bookie” Watson on a sack) will all need to find ways to win their one-on-one matchups in the trenches. If they can do so, Watson and fellow linebacker Jett Johnson will be able to roam freely and step up to rack up tackles.

Keep the defense guessing

Part of the beauty of offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay’s new-look offense is its ability to change shape. And that’s not just about mixing up runs and passes. The Bulldogs ran plenty of traditional running plays last week, but mixed in jet sweeps and end-arounds as well.

In the passing game, quarterback Will Rogers hit SELA with the bubble screens, dump-offs and quick-hitters that were staples of Mike Leach’s “Air Raid,” but showed off a few deep balls as well, including a 33-yard touchdown to freshman receiver Creed Whittemore late in the first half.

Arizona’s defense allowed the second-most points per game and yards per game in the Pac-12 last year, both ahead of only 1-11 Colorado. But the Wildcats added some size up front to help against the run, including Georgia transfer Bill Norton at defensive tackle. MSU will have to continue varying its formations, personnel and play selection to put up points Saturday.

Finish drives in the end zone

MSU did a much better job of this in the second half last week, scoring touchdowns on its last three possessions before kneeling at the very end. Early on, though, the Bulldogs settled for a first-quarter field goal after Rogers took a sack on third down, and on their first drive of the second half, they turned the ball over on downs just outside the red zone.

The Wildcats will almost certainly make their share of big plays offensively, so MSU may not be able to get away with stalling after crossing midfield very often.

Remain disciplined

The Bulldogs committed just one penalty in the opener — a facemask against freshman Zakari Tillman while covering the opening kickoff of the second half. Meanwhile, MSU coerced the Lions into moving early four times, frequently by showing blitz.

The Wildcats, on the other hand, committed 11 penalties that cost them 91 yards last week against Northern Arizona. Their defense was especially flag-prone, as they gifted the Lumberjacks seven first downs by penalty, and five of the infractions called against Arizona were personal fouls. If the Bulldogs can minimize the penalties again, there’s a good chance they’ll be sitting at 2-0 when LSU comes to Starkville on Sept. 16.