Week two of the 2023 Mississippi State Football season is upon Coach Arnett and the Bulldog faithful as they prepare to turn the page to the Arizona game on Saturday night at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State opened the season with a massive 48-7 win over Southeastern Louisana last Saturday and will look to improve upon that performance on Saturday against the Wildcats of Arizona.

Last week, Mississippi State started slow but exploded on the offensive side of the ball, while on defense, the Junkyard Bulldogs held the line and carried the lunch pale to victory.

Heading into the Arizona game, Coach Arnett talked about focusing on the controllable and getting better this week with a quality opponent in Arizona. Last week, Mississippi State got off to a slow start on the offensive side of the ball and will look to push the tempo early, forcing the visiting Wildcats to play Southeastern Conference Football instead of settling into the wild Pac-12 style. For the Bulldogs on offense, using Will Rogers and Mike Wright to keep the Wildcats on their toes will provide the crucial difference-maker on Saturday night at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State will also balance the offensive see-saw with another balanced rushing attack. Last week, the Bulldogs rushed for 300 yards while throwing for 227 for a combined 527 yards of total offensive production.

On the defensive side of the ball, Mississippi State will face an Arizona offensive unit with more questions than answers. Last week, the Arizona Wildcats had 478 yards of total production on 38 points against an FCS opponent in Northern Arizona. Mississippi State is a lot bigger on the defensive front than Arizona can likely handle. On paper, the Junkyard defensive Bulldogs have the advantage and will likely dominate the Arizona offensive line and cause havoc in the backfield for the Wildcats. Last week, the Bulldogs forced a blocked punt for a touchdown; expect more of the same, if not more, out of Mississippi State on Saturday night.

With cowbells ringing as loud as they do, Mississippi State will have a tough test against Arizona, but the victory should go in favor of the Bulldogs on Saturday night. Mississippi State and Arizona will get underway on the SEC Network under the lights with a 6:30 kick-off.