Arizona at Mississippi State Week 2 College Football Matchup Arizona at Mississippi State Matchup - Week 2
Sat, Sep 9 2023 · Week 2 · 🏟 Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS · Turf · 61,337 cap
Arizona✈ 1,286 mi+2 hr TZ
Away
24 31
Final
📊 Punt & Rally Projection
Arizona
33
ARIZ +9
Mississippi State
23
P&R Line Arizona -10.5
P&R Total O/U 56
Confidence 90 High
Vegas Mississippi State -9 · O/U 60.0
Matchup Prediction
Toss-up — no clear edge
Neither metric shows a meaningful pre-game edge in this matchup.
Momentum Control
58.4%
Lean
Game Control
64.9%
Arizona wins
Lean
Vegas Spread
Mississippi State -9
O/U 60.0
William Hill (New Jersey)
Advanced Stats
All 4 factors agree → Arizona · 83.1% ATS historically when all four align
↓ See full breakdown
🏠 Mississippi State 2nd straight Home Game
Arizona 2023 Schedule
Arizona's 2023 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Sat 9/2Arizona vs Northern Arizona-28.5W38–361.0W38–3UY
Sat 9/9Arizona at Mississippi State+9.0L24–3160.0L24–31UY
Sat 9/16Arizona vs UTEP-18.0W31–1057.0W31–10UY
Sat 9/23Arizona at Stanford-13.0W21–2060.0W21–20UN
Sat 9/30Arizona vs Washington+20.0L24–3166.0L24–31UY
Sat 10/7Arizona at USC+21.0L41–4369.5L41–43OY
Sat 10/14Arizona at Washington State+7.5W44–657.5W44–6UY
— Bye Week —
Sat 10/28Arizona vs Oregon State+3.0W27–2457.5W27–24UY
Sat 11/4Arizona vs UCLA+2.5W27–1050.0W27–10UY
Sat 11/11Arizona at Colorado-6.0W34–3155.5W34–31ON
Sat 11/18Arizona vs Utah-2.5W42–1845.5W42–18OY
Sat 11/25Arizona at Arizona State-12.5W59–2348.5W59–23OY
Thu 12/28Arizona vs Oklahoma-2.5W38–2459.5W38–24OY
Mississippi State 2023 Schedule
Mississippi State's 2023 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Sat 9/2Mississippi State vs SE Louisiana-31.5W48–759.5W48–7UY
Sat 9/9Mississippi State vs Arizona-9.0W31–2460.0W31–24UN
Sat 9/16Mississippi State vs LSU+9.5L14–4154.0L14–41ON
Sat 9/23Mississippi State at South Carolina+6.0L30–3746.5L30–37ON
Sat 9/30Mississippi State vs Alabama+16.5L17–4045.0L17–40ON
Sat 10/7Mississippi State vs Western Michigan-21.5W41–2854.5W41–28ON
— Bye Week —
Sat 10/21Mississippi State at Arkansas+6.5W7–346.5W7–3UY
Sat 10/28Mississippi State at Auburn+6.5L13–2740.0L13–27UN
Sat 11/4Mississippi State vs Kentucky+5.5L3–2444.5L3–24UN
Sat 11/11Mississippi State at Texas A&M+16.5L10–5140.5L10–51ON
Sat 11/18Mississippi State vs Southern Miss-18.5W41–2047.5W41–20OY
Thu 11/23Mississippi State vs Ole Miss+11.0L7–1756.0L7–17UY
Advanced Stats
Advanced Analytics Matchup
Matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense) · 2023 season
Arizona PPA Edge
Agreement Signals — When All Metrics Agree
Elite · 83.1% ATS
PPA + PPO + SR + Havoc
All 4 Agree
→ Arizona
Elite · 82.4% ATS
PPA + PPO + Havoc
3 Agree
→ Arizona
Elite · 73.9% ATS
PPA + Success Rate
Both Agree
→ Arizona
Individual Factors — Ranked by Predictive Strength
PPA Overall
Points added per play · Elite predictor
Arizona #10
+0.510
Mississippi State #116
+0.254
Arizona Edge
PPA Passing
Pass efficiency edge · Strong predictor
Arizona #15
+0.758
Mississippi State #115
+0.392
Arizona Edge
Havoc Total
Def. disruption rate · Strong predictor
Arizona #50
0.170
Mississippi State #80
0.157
TFLs, sacks, PBUs, forced fumbles — higher is better
Arizona Edge
Points Per Opp
Drive-finishing edge · Strong predictor
Arizona #29
+8.743
Mississippi State #96
+6.846
Arizona Edge
Success Rate
Play consistency edge · Solid predictor
Arizona #6
+0.928
Mississippi State #126
+0.777
Arizona Edge
Field Position
Avg start (lower=better) · Solid predictor
Arizona #52
70.1
Mississippi State #52
70.1
Avg yards from own endzone to average start — lower is better · longer bar = better field position
Even
Advanced stats sourced from CFBD · 2023 season · Edges are matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense)
Power Ratings
Team Power Ratings
Overall · Offense · Defense ratings · Updated as season progresses
Arizona Rated Higher
Overall Power Rating
Arizona
9.6
Mississippi State
-2.1
Offense Rating
Arizona
21.5
Mississippi State
14.2
Defense Rating (lower = better defense)
Arizona
11.9
Mississippi State
16.3
Power ratings updated throughout the season as results accumulate
Momentum Control (CSS)
Consecutive Scoring Sequences Who builds scoring momentum? Arizona Edge
Avg sequences created per game
Arizona #8
0.00
Mississippi State #120
0.00
Avg sequences allowed per game (lower is better)
Arizona #11
0.00
Mississippi State #87
0.00
Arizona +0.00
CSS Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 58.4% of games historically
Based on 0 games this season
Game Control (GC)
Win Probability Dominance Who controls games start to finish? Arizona Edge
Avg GC score per game (offense)
Arizona #1
89.9
Mississippi State #1
75.2
Avg GC score allowed per game (lower is better)
Arizona #31
5.6
Mississippi State #104
9.0
Arizona +14.7
GC Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 64.9% of games historically
Based on 1 game this season
Actual Result
CSS Battle
Mississippi State
1 — 0 sequences
✗ Predicted incorrectly
GC Battle
Mississippi State
75.1 — 10.4 GC score
✗ Predicted incorrectly
Game Result
Mississippi State won by 7
Spread Context
ATS Historical Context
Based on 2021–2025 backtest · FBS vs FBS · Regular season

CSS and GC disagree on this matchup. When the metrics split, historical cover rates are essentially random — treat this as a coin flip against the spread.

ATS data is informational only. Past cover rates do not guarantee future results.

Coaching Matchup
Arizona
Jedd Fisch #1
8–19 (30%) · Yr 3 at school
OC Brennan Carroll Yr 3 #1
DC Johnny Nansen Yr 2 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
Mississippi State
Zach Arnett #1
0–0 (0%) · Yr 1 at school
OC Kevin Barbay Yr 1 #1
DC Matt Brock Yr 1 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
About these metrics
Advanced Stats shows matchup-adjusted factor edges (offense vs opponent defense). Combination signals — when PPA, PPO, Success Rate, and Havoc all point the same direction — have historically predicted the SU winner in 95–97% of games and the ATS winner in 82–83% of games (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS, regular season).
Impact: Advanced Stats are the best performance based metric used to predict the outcome of games.

Momentum Control (CSS) measures consecutive scoring sequences — when a team scores, holds the opponent scoreless, then scores again. Teams entering a game with a CSS edge of +1.0 or more have won 71–78% of games historically (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS).
Impact: Momentum Control is a great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Game Control (GC) measures win probability dominance — how thoroughly a team controlled the game from start to finish. Teams with a GC edge of +12 or more have won 67–76% of games historically. When both metrics agree, combined confidence is higher. When they split, treat as a lean at best.
Impact: Game Control is another great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Power Ratings are a custom-built composite of a Teams Talent, Experience & Production, Coaching & Performance Metrics. These are updated constantly with roster changes, performance once the games start for the 2026 season, injuries the team is dealing with and scheduling situations.
Impact: There are a wide range of power ratings available, we think ours is the best, you can decide for yourself