Arizona
Mississippi State wide receiver Rara Thomas (0) sprints past Memphis defenders for a first down during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. Mississippi State won 49-23. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Mississippi State Travels to Face Arizona

The Arizona Wildcats will host the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Tucson Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 11 p.m. EST.

This week two game features another SEC and Pac-12 matchup.  In week one, the SEC went 13-1 while the Pac-12 went 9-3.

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The Wildcats

Arizona moves into week two with a win under their belt, defeating San Diego State 38-20, last week.

Transfer quarterback Jayden De Laura went 22-for-35 throwing for 299 yards and four touchdowns against the Aztecs.  Three of those touchdowns were thrown to UTEP transfer Jacob Cowing.  He recorded eight receptions for 152 yards.

Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach recruited De Laura back when he was the head coach of Washington State.  When Leach left for Starkville, De Laura transferred to Arizona.

Leach had this to say about De Laura’s talent:

After a big game against San Diego State, Leach said the Bulldogs need to focus on defending Cowing.

The Wildcats’ defense did an impressive job defending the Aztecs passing game, only allowing 62 yards in the air.

The Bulldogs

The Bulldogs started their season off strong in week one, defeating the Memphis Tigers 49-23 at home Saturday.

Mississippi State out-scored the Tigers 28-3 over the first two quarters and the only thing that could slow down the Bulldogs was weather.  Lightning delayed the matchup for more than two hours, but the Bulldogs brought the heat once the game resumed.

The team scored touchdowns on four of its first five drives in the first half and quarterback Will Rogers threw two touchdowns in the first quarter. The two first quarter scores came on a 23-yard pass to Rara Thomas and a nine-yard pass to Jaden Walley.

Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers (2) passes against Kentucky during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Leach had this to say about Rogers’ performance against Memphis:

The Bulldogs’ defense was also impressive, limiting the Tigers to only 29 first-half yards and just 1.8 yards per play.

Leach said this about facing Arizona’s defense this weekend:

 

About Jolie Katzen

Jolie Katzen is a fourth-year Journalism major with a focus on sports media at the University of Florida.

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