Mississippi State will remain at Davis Wade Stadium this Saturday to welcome Pac-12 foe Arizona for a 6:30 kickoff on SEC Network. The Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats 39-17 last season in Tucson in what was the programs’ first-ever head-to-head meeting. 

Arizona opened its season last week with a 38-3 win over Northern Arizona and is coming off a 5-7 campaign in 2022. To learn more about the Wildcats, The Commercial Dispatch chatted with Justin Spears, who covers the team for the Arizona Daily Star.

Editor’s note: This conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity and brevity.

The Commercial Dispatch: What did you learn about this Arizona team in last weekend’s season opener?

Justin Spears: Arizona’s defense is a much different story compared to the team MSU faced a year ago. This offseason, the Wildcats bolstered their defensive front after they were eighth-worst rushing defense in FBS last season. The size added with multiple 300-pounders, including former SEC defensive tackle Bill Norton (Georgia), has given the Wildcats much-needed depth on the defensive line, which will be key on Saturday. Offensively, Arizona was very vanilla and didn’t get too flashy, which was expected against an opponent like Northern Arizona.

The Dispatch: What does quarterback Jayden de Laura bring to the table that makes him so difficult to defend?

Spears: Two things: experience and versatility. Last season was de Laura’s first year understanding Jedd Fisch’s pro-style offense he inherited from the NFL. It was the first time ever de Laura took snaps from under center and threw to tight ends, yet he still threw for the third-most yards by an Arizona quarterback in a single season. With star receivers Jacob Cowing and Tetairoa McMillan back and the Wildcats having arguably the best tackle tandem in the Pac-12 with Jordan Morgan and Jonah Savaiinaea, along with a reliable running back group that uses four players, de Laura is in charge of leading the offensive ship that could be even better than last season’s unit that finished as the sixth-best passing offense nationally. Last season, de Laura was reluctant to run against the Bulldogs. Last week against Northern Arizona, he broke off for a 53-yard run down the sideline and showed he’s gotten much faster. De Laura’s ability to keep the offense in rhythm with his legs could be a difference-maker this time around.

The Dispatch: De Laura aside, what will be the biggest challenges Mississippi State’s defense will face on Saturday?

Spears: Two of Arizona’s top three pass-catchers on Saturday were running backs, Michael Wiley and Jonah Coleman. The Wildcats didn’t flash too much with Cowing and McMillan, but expect that to change this week. Plus, Arizona didn’t throw to Tanner McLachlan last Saturday; last season, he had the most single-season yards by an Arizona tight end since Rob Gronkowski in 2008. MSU’s linebackers and defensive backs will be tested to tackle Arizona’s skill players in space. If the Bulldogs allow the Wildcats to rack up yards after the catch and get out in the open, then look out for an upset alert in Starkville.

The Dispatch: What do you make of the Wildcats’ defense this year, and what does it have to do to slow down MSU’s offense?

Spears: Arizona’s defense added size on the defensive line to help out with stopping the run, so now let’s see how it holds up against a test with MSU’s offensive line and running back Jo’quavious Marks, who had a great game last week against SELA. Mississippi State’s offense isn’t as pass-happy as it was under Leach’s direction, but its running attack is formidable this season. This Saturday will truly test Arizona’s run-stopping capabilities this season. This is a totally different defense from a year ago. The only Arizona starter who is back for this game is safety Gunner Maldonado and he’s suspended for the first half due to his targeting ejection on Saturday. Every single starter on defense in Starkville for Arizona will be a new face. 

The Dispatch: Arizona will win if…

Spears: The Wildcats don’t commit penalties like they did last week. Arizona had 11 penalties for 89 yards, including five personal foul calls, against NAU. You have to play 10 points better on the road and don’t create self-inflicted errors. 

The Dispatch: Arizona will lose if…

Spears: De Laura plays hero ball like he did twice last season, including the contest against MSU. He threw seven interceptions combined between the Mississippi State and Washington State games. The late coaching icon Mike Leach recruited de Laura to Washington State before taking over at MSU, and the Washington State game was his first game against his former team since transferring to UA. Both games were very personal to him. Saturday’s game is in SEC country and it’s against the team that beat Arizona last year. This could be a masterclass performance by Zach Arnett’s defense, if de Laura plays erratic and tries to do too much.