Mississippi
What to watch for in Arkansas-Mississippi State
![What to watch for in Arkansas-Mississippi State What to watch for in Arkansas-Mississippi State](https://wehco.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/photos/2023/02/08/AP23039172631158.jpg)
FAYETTEVILLE — After notching back-to-back street wins over South Carolina and Kentucky within the final week, Arkansas is returning dwelling.
The Razorbacks are set to host Mississippi State at 5 p.m. on Saturday as they give the impression of being to increase their successful streak contained in the SEC to 6 video games. The matchup will mark Arkansas’ first in Bud Walton Area on a weekend with a day tipoff since Dec. 3.
Listed here are a handful of issues to regulate:
• Arkansas’ inside protection
The Razorbacks are gearing as much as face one other big-bodied menace within the frontcourt, and their subsequent job is slowing the Bulldogs’ Tolu Smith.
A 6-11 ahead averaging 12.9 factors and seven.6 rebounds per sport in SEC play, Smith is the reigning SEC participant of the week after placing up 20 factors and 10 boards in a pair of wins final week. He has scored 25-plus factors twice in Mississippi State’s four-game successful streak.
Arkansas’ entrance line, notably Makhi and Makhel Mitchell, needs to be beaming with confidence after combining to restrict Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe to seven factors and 7 rebounds on Tuesday. The Razorbacks will probably rely closely on them once more.
Smith averaged 14.5 factors and 6 rebounds in 2 video games in opposition to Arkansas a season in the past. He went for 18 factors and 6 rebounds in Starkville, Miss., however the Razorbacks annoyed him within the rematch.
In his final journey to Bud Walton Area, the ahead had 11 factors and made solely 2 of 8 subject purpose makes an attempt.
“You’ve bought to have the ability to defensively defend the paint, beginning with Tolu Smith inside,” Arkansas coach Eric Musselman stated Wednesday. “Definitely coming into Mississippi State, the post-up sport, particularly of Smith, is of the best significance to us.”
Based on Hoop-Math knowledge, Smith has scored 120 occasions on the rim this season and made 68.2% of his makes an attempt. Just one different Bulldogs participant has greater than 50 such buckets.
On the flip aspect, Smith will face a protection that allowed its final 5 SEC opponents to make simply 58.2% of its seems to be on the rim and 23.3% of all different makes an attempt within the lane, per CBB Analytics. The Razorbacks personal a block charge of 14.4% throughout their successful streak.
Mississippi State has made not less than 56% of its two-point tries within the final 5 video games.
On condition that the Bulldogs personal the worst in-league three-point proportion (24.5%), their finest wager is to work for a high quality inside try. And which will play proper into Arkansas’ fingers.
• Jordan Walsh
The freshman wing, in the end, seems to be discovering a rhythm.
Walsh reached double figures in scoring in opposition to Texas A&M and Kentucky, and grabbed 10 rebounds in Arkansas’ first street win of the season in opposition to South Carolina. The Razorbacks are plus-16 in his time within the lineup the final three video games, together with plus-10 on Tuesday.
“I believe whether or not a participant begins or comes off the bench, you need that participant to be mentally engaged, be capable to are available and have an effect proper when he checks in, get into the circulation of the sport offensively, however make an impression on the boards, make an impression working the ground, make an impression defensively,” Musselman stated Wednesday. “Definitely, we really feel like Jordan has performed that.”
CBB Analytics knowledge exhibits Arkansas has an offensive score of 113.0 with Walsh on the ground the final 5 video games. The Razorbacks, too, rebounded one-third of their misses in his run and boosted their free throw charge (free throws tried divided by subject targets tried) to 40%, up from 22.6% when he sat.
Musselman gave Walsh credit score after the win at Kentucky for his motion with out the basketball and defensive vitality.
“I believe he retains getting higher and higher,” Musselman added. “When he performs with the vitality we’ve seen of late, he actually, actually impacts the sport on three ranges — offensively, defensively after which on the backboards, each offensive rebounding and defensive rebounding.”
On Saturday, he might discover himself matched up in opposition to Mississippi State’s 6-7 forwards DJ Jeffries and Cameron Matthews, who’re second and third on the crew in rebounding in league video games. Limiting their effectiveness on the glass could also be his prime precedence.
Jeffries is coming off an 18-point night time in opposition to LSU during which he knocked down 5 threes and completed with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Walsh’s versatility as a defender might actually come into play on this matchup.
“He’s sort of an X-factor for us,” Musselman added. “When Jordan performs rather well, we develop into a a lot, a lot better crew on each side of the ball.”
• Razorbacks’ quick-strike offense
Arkansas has been irritating to look at at occasions in transition this season, however much less so throughout its successful stretch within the SEC.
The Razorbacks have averaged 14.2 fast-break factors per sport of their final 5 league outings. Highs in that span embody 21 in opposition to Texas A&M and 20 at Kentucky.
That per-game determine jumps to 14.8 factors of their six wins contained in the convention. In Arkansas’ 5 SEC losses, it plummets to five.0 per sport.
Mississippi State will enter the weekend boasting the nation’s No. 4 protection by way of effectivity, permitting 89.8 factors per 100 possessions. The Bulldogs, too, are No. 3 in in-conference defensive effectivity, so the Razorbacks profiting from transition alternatives could possibly be very important.
Based on CBB Analytics, Arkansas has scored at a 1.42 point-per-possession clip within the first 10 seconds of the shot clock within the final 5 video games. It’s 40 of 46 on two-point makes an attempt and a couple of of 6 past the arc.
The Razorbacks within the final 5 video games have additionally scored shortly in different methods. Based on CBB Analytics, they’ve operated at a 1.17 PPP charge on 18 scoring possibilities out of timeouts, and 1.14 PPP when possessing the ball first to start a half.
“I believe we attempt to take quite a lot of delight in our opening play of the sport,” Musselman stated Wednesday. “We attempt to run a play that we’ve by no means run earlier than to start out each sport, a brand new set. After which we really feel prefer it’s necessary to get an excellent shot to start out the second half, whether or not you’ve gotten the ball to start out or in case your first offensive possession is after a defensive possession.
“Then actually after timeouts…offensively, we need to attempt to do the identical factor and attempt to rating off perhaps a wrinkle that the opposition hasn’t seen.”
• Ball safety
Creating turnovers has been a key ingredient in first-year Mississippi State coach Chris Jans’ recipe for fulfillment on the defensive finish.
The Bulldogs are eleventh nationally in turnover charge, inflicting a miscue on 23.6% of opponents’ possessions, per KenPom. They’re additionally No. 1 in SEC video games in turnover charge.
Mississippi State is forcing 15.5 turnovers per sport this season and averages 9.5 steals.
Valuing the basketball on every possession figures to be a should for Arkansas if it hopes to safe a sixth straight league win.
“You’ve bought to be ready for physicality,” Musselman stated Wednesday. “It is a crew that likes to create steals. It’s a high-gamble crew defensively. They soar in passing lanes. They attempt to management the tempo of play.”
Apparently, the Bulldogs have 4 of the league’s prime 10 gamers by way of steal charge, in line with KenPom knowledge, in Dashawn Davis (third), Shakeel Moore (fifth), Cameron Matthews (sixth) and DJ Jeffries (tenth).
Davis has recorded a number of steals in 8 of the final 9 SEC video games, and Moore has 3 three-plus steal video games contained in the league. Matthews led with 5 steals in Wednesday’s win over LSU and has 8 complete within the final 2 video games.
The Razorbacks have performed a good job lately limiting turnovers past their prime three ball handlers. Anthony Black, Davonte Davis and Ricky Council have to be certain in decision-making and powerful with the ball.
And the identical could be stated for individuals who might be on the ground with them given the best way the Bulldogs generate takeaways at a number of positions.
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Mississippi
Arizona State eyes first win against an SEC opponent vs. Mississippi State
Mississippi State at Arizona State, Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Arizona State by 6 1/2.
Series record: First meeting.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Arizona State and Mississippi State both had dominant wins in the season-opening weekend and now have a tougher challenge when they face each other on Saturday night. The Sun Devils are trying to build off an impressive 48-7 win over Wyoming and prove they might be a factor in the Big 12 race. Arizona State has never beaten an SEC opponent. Mississippi State plays its second game under new coach Jeff Lebby. The Bulldogs beat Eastern Kentucky 56-7 in their season opener..
KEY MATCHUP
Mississippi State QB Blake Shapen vs. the Arizona State defense. The Sun Devils scored a touchdown on the second play of their opener when Zyrus Fiaseu picked off a pass and returned it to the end zone. It was one of two interceptions on the day for Arizona State. Shapen had a great debut against Eastern Kentucky but will face a much tougher defense on Saturday.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Mississippi State: Shapen had a terrific first game with the Bulldogs, throwing for 247 yards and three touchdowns while also running for 44 yards and a TD against Eastern Kentucky. The 6-foot-1 senior played the previous three college seasons at Baylor with mixed success. Shapen has thrown a TD pass in 12 consecutive games dating to this time at Baylor in 2022.
Arizona State: RB Cam Skattebo led a balanced rushing attack against Wyoming, gaining 49 yards and scoring a touchdown. Skattebo was a do-it-all player for Arizona State last year, spending time at quarterback, running back and receiver. The Sun Devils might not need him to be as versatile this season, but he’s still a threat from just about anywhere on the field.
FACTS & FIGURES
Mississippi State had six different players score touchdowns against Eastern Kentucky. … The Bulldogs’ 93.7 passing grade in the opener was the second-best mark in all of the FBS, trailing only Purdue, according to Pro Football Focus. … Mississippi State’s Kevin Coleman Jr. returned five punts for 117 yards last week. … Arizona State was credited with just two missed tackles on defense in the opener, tied for the third-lowest tally among FBS schools. … Skattebo is 270 rushing yards away from reaching 3,000 in his career. He is 342 all-purpose yards away from reaching 4,000 and 202 receiving yards away from reaching 1,000.
___
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Mississippi
How Mississippi State football is preparing for Arizona State weather, late kickoff
![How Mississippi State football is preparing for Arizona State weather, late kickoff How Mississippi State football is preparing for Arizona State weather, late kickoff](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/09/03/PNAS/75060541007-usatsi-24129028.jpg?auto=webp&crop=5472,3078,x0,y0&format=pjpg&width=1200)
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football is preparing to play a team that, at least through one game, looks vastly improved from last season.
Coach Jeff Lebby admitted on Monday, and Bulldog players have noticed it too after Arizona State (1-0) thumped Wyoming 48-7 in its opener.
MSU (1-0) must also factor in the late kickoff that is scheduled Saturday (9:30 p.m. CT, ESPN) at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Mississippi is hot, but so is Arizona — a different kind of hot, too.
Modifications and remedies are being made, such as the team leaving Starkville on Thursday instead of how it normally would on a Friday for a Saturday game.
“For our guys, just knowing exactly what we are getting into,” Lebby said. “We continue to talk about that through yesterday and this morning and (are) having those conversations to understand what it’s going to look like late in the week. We got to do a great job from a preparation standpoint of how we are hydrating, how we are eating and how we are resting to give us the ability to go on the road on this flight and be able to be at our best Saturday night.”
Just this week, Phoenix broke a record with its 100th straight day of 100-degree temperatures. According to AccuWeather, the high on Saturday in Tempe will be 107 degrees with a low of 86. The temperature should dip to around 91 near kickoff with a humidity of 24%.
“Coach Lebby has already been harping on that,” tight end Justin Ball said. “We’ve already been hydrating and making sure we are getting rest every single day. We leave on Thursday, so we already talked about the plan to make sure we are hydrating the entire plane ride there, making sure when we get there we get acclimated as quickly as you can and just staying together. Making sure we’re focused, make sure we keep the goal first and then execute the game plan.”
MORE: Jeff Lebby says Mississippi State football didn’t put on a good enough show. Here’s how he’s wrong
Mississippi State played well the last time it played in Arizona
The Bulldogs played Arizona in Tucson two seasons ago. They squandered a pedestrian Wildcats team 39-17. Kickoff for that game was at 8 p.m. PST though the temperature was 84 degrees at game time.
Not many players remain on Mississippi State’s roster from that 2022 season. But the ones who are, like linebacker Nic Mitchell, can benefit from the experience and also share it with teammates.
“We know it’s going to be a long flight, so we know we got to be hydrated,” Mitchell said. “It gives people experience that have done it before and they can tell the young guys how it’s going to be in the flight, how you got to hydrate and stuff like that.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Mississippi
Playing for Mississippi State not an option for Arizona State back Kyson ‘Sipp’ Brown
Arizona State forces 3 turnovers in win over Wyoming to start 2024
All offseason, coach Kenny Dillingham preached getting turnovers. Forty seconds into the season’s first game, the defense produced its first one.
Sophomore running back Kyson Brown is one of the faster players on the Arizona State football team. But Brown seems to have a little more pep in his step this week. Why? Well, the Sun Devils (1-0) are set to take on Mississippi State (1-0) at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Mountain America Stadium.
Sure an SEC opponent is enough to get any athlete fired up. But the 6-foot, 200-pounder hails from Tupelo, Mississippi, which is where he got his nickname, Sipp. Tupelo is 67 miles north of the Mississippi State campus in Starkville that Sipp has visited a handful of times.
“I have family, growing up they were all Mississipp State fans and some Ole Miss fans,” he said. “Some of my family are debating whether they want to cheer for me or not. It’s going to be good. A lot of hometown friends. Got a couple guys I went to high school with there. It’s going to be good seeing those guys and hopefully, we compete at a good level and get the W.”
Brown, a mechanical engineering major, is enrolled in ASU’s Barret honors program, He emerged as one of the team’s most improved players. He saw some time on special teams as a true freshman in 2023 and has set himself up for a bigger role, although the ASU backfield has a lot of depth.
In the last week’s 48-7 win over Wyoming, Brown pitched in with six rushing attempts for 25 yards and two receptions for 73 yards. His 68-yard touchdown reception was the longest play from scrimmage that ASU had on the night.
“It felt amazing just to get back in the end zone again,” Brown said. “You come out of high school, you know I’m used to being in the end zone every game, all the time. That play, I knew — once I made the first guy miss — I knew I wasn’t going to let anybody catch me.”
Brown lived in Mississippi until moving to Lancaster, Texas, outside of Dallas, after his sophomore year of high school. He sat out junior year after the transfer. As a senior he averaged 9.5 yards per carry, finishing with 707 yards and 11 touchdowns on 74 carries while adding 14 receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
Sitting out his junior year hurt his recruiting, but he still had notable offers from Purdue, Missouri and Houston. The balance of his options were lower-profile schools. Mississippi State didn’t offer.
He is happy with the end result. A place on the ASU football roster. In the offseason, he worked on his agility, flexibility and catching the ball, which was evident in his recent scoring play.
“We all have the big-play potential,” he said of his fellow running backs. “I feel my role is to make plays, wherever they put me be able to perform.”
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