10 Things to Know – Mississippi State

Arkansas (5-3, 1-3 SEC) is back in action this week after a bye as it hosts Mississippi State (5-3, 3-2 SEC) on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. on SEC Network.

10 Things to Know – Mississippi State

1. – The Razorbacks downed in-state FCS opponent UAPB 45-3 in its last game on Oct. 23 in Little Rock. Arkansas scored all 45 points in the first half and outgained the Golden Lions for the game, 504-223. Posting 291 rushing yards, the Hogs ran for over 200 yards for the sixth time this season, the most since the 2015 Razorbacks accomplished the feat. The offense eclipsed 500 total yards for the third time this year. Arkansas won its 18th consecutive game against an FCS opponent and played its first in-state opponent since 1944.

2. – The Arkansas rushing attack is one of the best in the country this season, averaging 249.0 yards per game on the ground to rank fourth-best nationally and second in the SEC. Air Force (318.4), Army (312.3) and Ole Miss (249.9) are the only teams in the country averaging more yards on the ground per game than the Hogs. Running back Trelon Smith leads the team with 459 rushing yards and is followed by running back Raheim Sanders (434) and quarterback KJ Jefferson (419).

3. – Jefferson has thrown for 1,657 yards and 15 touchdowns while gaining 419 yards and scoring a team-high five touchdowns on the ground. Jefferson is one of two SEC quarterbacks – and one of seven in the FBS – with 1,600+ passing yards and 400+ rushing yards on the year. He is also one of just six FBS quarterbacks to total at least 15 passing touchdowns and five rushing scores. Additionally, he is the first Arkansas quarterback to accomplish that feat since Matt Jones in 2004 (15 passing TDs, 6 rushing TDs). The redshirt sophomore leads the SEC averaging 15.1 yards per completion. Jefferson’s 164.4 passing efficiency mark is also third-best in the SEC.

4. – Wide receiver Treylon Burks leads the team in nearly every major receiving category, pacing the team in receptions (42), receiving yards (717), receiving touchdowns (7), and receiving yards per game (89.6). He leads the SEC in receiving yards and ranks 17th nationally. Burks tallied his first career three-score game against UAPB, hauling in two receiving touchdowns and rushing for one touchdown. Burks posted his third career multi-score game and became the first Arkansas receiver to have back-to-back two touchdown games since Anthony Lucas in 1998 against Ole Miss and Tennessee. Making four grabs for 89 yards against the Golden Lions, Burks became the ninth Razorback to eclipse the 2,000-yard career receiving mark.

5. – Punt returner Nathan Parodi scored his first career touchdown on an 80-yard punt return two weeks ago against UAPB. It was the first Arkansas punt return for a score since Joe Adams went 51 yards in the 2012 Cotton Bowl against Kansas State and is the sixth-longest punt return in school history. Parodi totaled 114 punt return yards in the game, the seventh-best single-game mark in program history.

6. – Linebacker Bumper Pool leads the team with 77 tackles and is second in the SEC and 15th in the country averaging 9.6 tackles per game. Pool is 34 total tackles away from breaking into top 10 for most career tackles in program history.

7. – Against UAPB, Arkansas saw two players record their first career interception. Defensive backs Malik Chavis and Myles Slusher picked off their first career passes, bringing Arkansas to seven interceptions this year.

8. – Defensively, Arkansas ranks fourth nationally and leads the SEC allowing its opposition to convert just 27.9% of third downs. Last year, the Hogs surrendered a 46.9% third down conversion percentage by opponents. Additionally, Arkansas’ pass defense is second in the SEC and eighth in the nation by allowing only 167.5 passing yards per game.

9. – Second-year head coach Sam Pittman is one of just 14 SEC coaches in history to take over a team with a losing record and lead it to a top 10 spot in the AP Poll in their first two seasons. The Razorbacks were ranked eighth in the fifth release of this year’s AP Poll. Pittman and Houston Nutt (1998) are the only Razorback head coaches to accomplish the feat.

10. – The Razorbacks are 17-13-1 all-time against Mississippi State and won last year’s game in Starkville against the No. 16 Bulldogs, 21-14. It was Pittman’s first career victory as an FBS head coach and snapped Arkansas’ 20-game SEC losing streak. The Razorbacks are trying win their first game in Fayetteville against the Bulldogs since a 52-6 win in 2003.