Missouri at Arkansas State: Three-minute college football preview

When/where: 6 p.m. Saturday at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, Ark.

TV/radio: No TV (streaming on ESPN3); KMBZ (98.1 FM)

The series: Missouri leads 3-0

The line: Missouri by 10 1/2

MISSOURI (1-0, 0-0 SEC)

ARKANSAS STATE (0-1, 0-0 Sun Belt)

What’s at stake

A 2-0 start for the 10th time in 15 seasons under coach Gary Pinkel. Missouri also puts its 10-game road winning streak, which is the third-longest in the nation behind Ohio State and Florida State, on the line.

Cheers if …

Missouri’s defense shines again. The Tigers allowed only three points, 201 yards, 3.1 yards per play and 10 first down in the opener. Southeast Missouri punted on 12 of 15 drives and went three-and-out seven times. Arkansas State can be explosive, so it’s a tougher test for first-year defensive coordinator Barry Odom’s bunch.

Jeers if …

Missouri’s run game struggles again. Senior Russell Hansbrough (right ankle sprain) said he intends to play. Even if he doesn’t, the Tigers must do better than the 98 yards on 33 carries for a 3.0-yard average produced in the opener.

Three things about Arkansas State

1 Senior wide receiver J.D. McKissic is the nation’s active leader with 242 career receptions. He owns Arkansas State records for receptions in a game (15), season (103) and career and needs 21 to break the Sun Belt Conference career record.

2 Blake Anderson is back for a second season, which is significant because his three predecessors only spent one season at Arkansas State before landing bigger jobs. Mississippi’s Hugh Freeze (2011), Auburn’s Gus Malzahn (2012) and Boise State’s Bryan Harsin (2013) were part of a chain of five coaches in five seasons for the Red Wolves.

3 The Red Wolves have won 10 straight home openers, which is the eighth-longest streak in the nation. Arkansas State has never defeated an SEC team at Centennial Bank Stadium, which received a multimillion dollar facelift in the offseason.

Key matchup

MU’s offensive line vs. Arkansas State’s defensive line: The Red Wolves boast a pair of preseason first-team All-Sun Belt defensive ends in senior Chris Stone and sophomore Ja’Von Rolland-Jones. Sophomore defensive tackle Chuks Ota is expected to return from an ankle injury against a Tigers offensive line that might be without senior center Evan Boehm (right ankle sprain).

MISSOURI OFFENSE

MISSOURI DEFENSE

ARKANSAS STATE OFFENSE

ARKANSAS STATE DEFENSE

Tod Palmer’s pick: Missouri, 31-13

Coach Gary Pinkel has done a masterful job getting the Tigers prepared for road games in recent seasons, so playing in Jonesboro isn’t a concern even with a young team. Containing quarterback Fredi Knighten, that is a concern, but one Missouri should handle.

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Missouri at Arkansas State: Three-minute college football preview."