Little Rock, Arkansas – In his first start of the season, Mike Wright ran for 60 yards and a touchdown in addition to throwing for 85 yards, helping Mississippi State defeat Arkansas 7-3 on Saturday.
Will Rogers, the starting quarterback for Mississippi State (4-3, 1-3 SEC Conference), was sidelined due to a shoulder injury sustained during the game’s fourth quarter. Wright, a transfer from Vanderbilt, found Jo’Quavious Marks for a touchdown throw in the second quarter.
For the Mississippi State defense, that was more than enough.
In terms of yards per game, Arkansas’ offensive, which was rated 118th in the FBS, performed worse than normal, particularly in the first half. There were just four first downs and 78 yards for the Razorbacks (2-6, 0-5). Cam Little’s 26-yard field goal at the end of a 29-yard drive, which began at the Bulldogs’ 35 after an interception on Mississippi State’s opening series, gave Arkansas its three first-half points.
Midway through the fourth quarter, a poor snap resulted in a fumble recovery that was recovered for a score, giving the Razorbacks the appearance of taking the lead. However, a flag was thrown, indicating that Mississippi State made a mistake and the play was never valid. Deep in their own territory, the Bulldogs punted, and Arkansas went three and out, leaving them to leave to a chorus of jeers.
KJ Jefferson, the quarterback for Arkansas, completed 19 of 31 passes for 97 yards and one interception. He also gained 38 yards on 16 carries. At the goal line, Jefferson’s Hail Mary attempt, which was around sixty yards long, was swatted down.
The longest losing run for Arkansas since 2019—a season in which the Razorbacks finished 2-10 and without a victory in the SEC—is now six games. Before the season concluded, head coach Chad Morris was let go.
With the victory, Mississippi State emerged from the SEC cellar, despite the Bulldogs’ lackluster play against the league’s elite teams.
A.500 regular season is about as good as it gets for Arkansas. For a team that returned a preseason All-American running back and a second-team All-SEC quarterback, and won nine games two seasons ago and seven the previous year, it’s a significant step backward.