Mississippi State continued its momentum with another dominant SEC win, topping Arkansas 40-17.

The Razorbacks were without starting quarterback K.J. Jefferson today after he suffered a concussion last week. Redshirt sophomore Malik Hornsby filled in with a solid yet inconsistent performance, throwing for 234 yards and one touchdown, rushing for 114 yards but also two interceptions.

Will Rogers set an SEC record with his 922nd career completion, and it capped off a 395-yard and three-touchdown performance, but it was the running backs that really stood out for Mississippi State today.

1) Running Backs Dominate

Arkansas came out with a 5-man box today, and the Mississippi State running backs made them pay. Dillon Johnson became the first running back of the Mike Leach era to rush for 100 yards in a game, and he did so on 5.9 yards per carry with two touchdowns. Jo'quavious Marks added 80 receiving yards on 11 receptions and a rushing touchdown, and all four backs the Bulldogs used combined for 302 of State's 568 yards.

The 173 yards Mississippi State rushed for today was the most in Mike Leach's tenure. The Bulldogs were coming off a 144-yard rushing performance last week, and it goes to show the improvements Mississippi State has made in the run game. Mike Leach and Will Rogers deserve much credit for taking what the defense gives them and running the ball against Texas A&M and Arkansas' 3-man fronts.

2) Offensive Line Shines

Today was the 2nd consecutive week that Will Rogers came off the field with a clean jersey, as neither Texas A&M nor Arkansas sacked the junior quarterback. Arkansas entered today leading the SEC in sacks, but they decided to rush three all game instead of bringing pressure, and the Bulldog front made them pay for it as Will Rogers had a clean pocket all day and the running backs picked up 4.7 yards per carry.

3) Defense Doesn't Surrender

The Razorbacks were able to move the football relatively easily today, picking up 483 yards. Arkansas quarterback Malik Hornsby hit some big shots down the field and busted some big runs, but Zach Arnett's defense still held the Razorbacks to 17 points.

The Mississippi State defense was resilient when Arkansas moved the ball across midfield. They forced two turnovers on down in the red zone, including a goal-line stand where Jackie Matthews and Randy Charlton made a fourth down stop on the one-yard line. The Mississippi State secondary also got involved, as Jackie Matthews and Emmanuel Forbes each added interceptions in plus territory.