Following a much-needed bye week, Mississippi State is back in action and back to Southeastern Conference play Saturday when the Bulldogs travel to Arkansas for an 11 a.m. kickoff on ESPN.

The Razorbacks have lost five straight games, but they pushed ranked foes LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama to the brink, falling to each of them on the road by no more than seven points. Both teams are in search of their first Southeastern Conference victory.

What: Mississippi State at Arkansas

When: 11 a.m. Saturday

Where: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Ark.

TV: ESPN

Betting line: Arkansas by 7

Weather: Mostly sunny skies with a high of 75 degrees and winds out of the north-northwest at 8 miles per hour, per AccuWeather

Records/rankings: MSU is 3-3 and 0-3 in SEC play. The Razorbacks are 2-5 and 0-4 in the SEC. Neither team is ranked or receiving votes in the AP Top 25 or the AFCA Coaches Poll.

Series history: Arkansas leads 18-14 with one tie. The teams have played each other every year since the Razorbacks joined the SEC in 1992. The Bulldogs routed Arkansas 40-17 last season at Davis Wade Stadium, while the Razorbacks edged MSU in the last meeting in Fayetteville, 31-28, in 2021.

Mississippi State update: The Bulldogs went into their bye week with a 41-28 win over Western Michigan, but they continue to deal with injury uncertainty in all three phases of the game. Quarterback Will Rogers, running back Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks and kicker Kyle Ferrie all left that game with injuries, while receiver Justin Robinson, running back Jeffery Pittman and defensive lineman De’Monte Russell were also sidelined.

MSU’s offense has grown into coordinator Kevin Barbay’s pro-style system, but the defense remains porous, especially against the pass. The Bulldogs have struggled to generate pressure and cover receivers effectively — and they rank 132nd out of 133 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in opponents’ completion percentage, allowing offenses to hit on more than 77% of their passes.

Arkansas update: The Razorbacks took an early lead last week on the road against Alabama, and after falling behind by 18 points, they nearly rallied all the way back before coming up just short, 24-21. Quarterback KJ Jefferson was not explosive, but he was solid against the Crimson Tide, completing 14 of 24 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.

Running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, who rushed for more than 1,400 yards last season, has battled injuries this year and will not play against MSU. Arkansas has reloaded defensively through the transfer portal, bringing in the SEC’s leading tackler in linebacker Jaheim Thomas from Cincinnati. Defensive lineman Landon Jackson had a monster day against Alabama with 3.5 sacks.

Arkansas players to watch: QB KJ Jefferson, RB AJ Green, WR Andrew Armstrong, LB Jaheim Thomas, DL Landon Jackson.

Prediction: The Bulldogs can score against this Razorbacks defense, but Arkansas has shown steady improvement on that side of the ball. Meanwhile, it’s just hard to trust MSU’s defense to come up with enough stops against a dynamic quarterback. Arkansas 31, Mississippi State 24.