Mississippi State completes its homestand Saturday morning, while Ole Miss tackles a chilly road test.
MSU will host East Tennessee State at 11 a.m. Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium, while the Rebels go to Fayetteville to take on Arkansas at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Here’s more information on each game, plus our staff predictions.
East Tennessee State (3-7, 1-7 SoCon) at Mississippi State (6-4, 3-4 SEC)
Where: Davis Wade Stadium (60,133), Starkville.
TV: 11 a.m., Saturday, SEC Network Plus/ESPN+.
Series: MSU leads, 1-0.
Coaches — East Tennessee State: George Quarles, 3-7 at ETSU (1st year), 3-7 overall (1st year); Mississippi State: Mike Leach, 17-17 at Mississippi State (3rd year), 156-107 overall (21st year).
Notes: Mississippi State beat East Tennessee State 53-10 on Oct. 17, 1998, in the only previous meeting between the two schools … MSU seeks to win six home games for the first time since 2018 and the fifth time ever. The Bulldogs also accomplished the feat in 1999, 2012 and 2014 … Wide receivers Austin Williams (78) and Jaden Walley (77) are the active SEC leaders in first-down catches … MSU’s special teams unit leads the nation with a 90.6 grade from ProFootball Focus. The Bulldogs are one of four FBS teams with a punt return touchdown and a kickoff return touchdown this season.
Prediction: MSU 42, ETSU 10.
— Theo DeRosa
No. 14 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC) at Arkansas (5-5, 2-4 SEC)
Where: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (76,000), Fayetteville, Arkansas.
TV: 6:30 p.m., Saturday, SEC Network.
Series: Arkansas leads 36-29-1.
Coaches – Arkansas: Sam Pittman, 17-16 at Arkansas (3rd year), 17-16 overall (3rd year). Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin, 23-10 at Ole Miss (3rd year), 84-44 overall (11th year).
Notes: Ole Miss is ninth nationally in third-down conversion rate (51.1 percent) … The Rebels are 2-12 all time in Fayetteville … Saturday’s game is projected to be the coldest in Fayetteville since 1991 … Arkansas is third in the FBS with 35 sacks … Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins has forced 69 missed tackles (according to Pro Football Focus) and has 704 yards after contact, per Ole Miss.
Prediction: Ole Miss 31, Arkansas 28.
— Michael Katz, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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