Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1404860
32 NWA COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW | 8.29.2021 low on The Plains with the Tigers being picked to finish fifth in the SEC West by media. Maybe being picked low will work in Harsin's favor and take away some pressure, but the heat always seems to be on the Auburn coach. GAME 8 ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF DATE Oct. 23 PLACE War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock KICKOFF TBA 2020 RECORD 4-1, 4-0 SWAC COACH Doc Gamble (4-1 in one season at UAPB) RETURNING STARTERS 10 offense, 9 defense KEY PLAYERS QB Skyler Perry, WR Josh Wilkes, DB Jalon Thigpen, LB Isaac Peppers 2021 SCHEDULE Sept. 4 ..........................................................Lane Sept. 18 .................................at Central Arkansas Sept. 23 ............................................ Alcorn State Sept. 30 ............................... at Prairie View A&M Oct. 9 .........................................at Alabama State Oct. 16 ...................................................Southern Oct. 23 .............................. Arkansas (Little Rock) Oct. 30 ..................................... at Texas Southern Nov. 6 ..........................................Grambling State Nov. 13 ............................................. Florida A&M Nov. 20 .......................................at Alabama A&M OUTLOOK After the Golden Lions won the SWAC West Division title and played a five-game schedule in the spring, they'll be back to a normal fall schedule — including a historic matchup against Arkansas in Little Rock. It will be the first time Arkansas and UAPB ever have played in football. The Golden Lions return 19 starters, led by junior quarterback Skyler Perry, who passed for 1,236 yards and 13 touchdowns last season and also led UAPB with 215 rushing yards. Also back are senior defensive back Jalon Thigpen (5 interceptions last season) and junior linebacker Isaac Peppers (7 1/2 sacks). GAME 9 MISSISSIPPI STATE DATE Nov. 6 PLACE Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville KICKOFF TBA 2020 RECORD 4-7, 3-7 SEC COACH Mike Leach (4-7 in one season at Mississippi State, 143-97 overall in 19 seasons) RETURNING STARTERS 8 offense, 8 defense KEY PLAYERS QB Will Rogers, WR Jaden Walley, LB Aaron Brule, CB Emmanuel Forbes 2021 SCHEDULE Sept. 4 ..........................................Louisiana Tech Sept. 11 ............................... North Carolina State Sept. 18 .............................................at Memphis Sept. 25 ........................................................ LSU Oct. 2 ............................................. at Texas A&M Oct. 16 ....................................................Alabama Oct. 23 ............................................. at Vanderbilt Oct. 30 ...................................................Kentucky Nov. 6 .................................................at Arkansas Nov. 13 ..................................................at Auburn Nov. 20 ........................................Tennessee State Nov. 25 ................................................... Ole Miss OUTLOOK Mike Leach's debut as Mississippi State's coach featured a 34-24 victory at defending national champion LSU to open the season, and a 28-26 victory over Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl to end it. In between those games it was a struggle for the Bulldogs as they went 2-7, including a 21-14 home loss to Arkansas that ended the Razorbacks' SEC losing streak at 20 games. It was only the fifth losing season Leach has suffered in 19 as coach at some tough places to win — Texas Tech and Washington State before he came to Starkville. Avoiding another losing season figures to be a challenge considering the Bulldogs are picked to finish last in the SEC West in several preseason polls. GAME 10 LSU DATE Nov. 13 PLACE Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge KICKOFF TBA 2020 RECORD 5-5, 5-5 SEC COACH Ed Orgeron (45-14 in five seasons at LSU, 61-41 overall in nine seasons) RETURNING STARTERS 7 offense, 9 defense KEY PLAYERS QB Max Johnson, WR Kayshon Boutte, CB Derek Stingley Jr., DE Ali Gaye 2021 SCHEDULE Sept. 4 .................................................... at UCLA Sept. 11 ........................................McNeese State Sept. 18 .....................................Central Michigan Sept. 25 ................................ at Mississippi State Oct. 2 ........................................................Auburn Oct. 9 .................................................at Kentucky Oct. 16 ...................................................... Florida Oct. 23 ................................................at Ole Miss Nov. 6 ..................................................at Alabama Nov. 13 ...................................................Arkansas Nov. 20 .................................... Louisiana-Monroe Nov. 27 ............................................... Texas A&M Opponent n Continued from Page 19 Missouri wide receiver Barrett Banister (11) catches a pass as LSU cornerback Cordale Flott (25) defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game AP Photo/L.G. Patterson