For many programs in college football, a missed tackle can be the difference between a win and a loss. Arizona will look to keep up the defensive work shown to stop San Diego State's offense last Saturday when the Wildcats limited the Aztecs to 232 yards of total offense.

A relentless pursuit of the football on the defensive side will be needed to limit the production of a shifty and elusive Mississippi State offensive attack that saw the Bulldogs earn 547 total yards against Memphis, ranking 20th in the FBS. The Wildcats will get their shot in four days when Mississippi State comes to town.

Mike Leach's coveted Air Raid offense will be a true test for the Wildcats' secondary after having 12 players all earn a reception against Memphis. Expanding the amount of receivers on the field will force Arizona's defense to be more mobile and alert in the linebacking and secondary units to limit the Bulldogs' production after potential catches in the open field.

Arizona's tackling drills seen in training camp will come in handy this Saturday with the Bulldogs likely to use four and five receivers on their respective end of the field throughout the contest.

"It's hard because you never know who the main guy is, when you're trying to double somebody" defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen said. "Especially in a week like this when we go from a running team to a passing team, so it's a totally different game now. We just got to do a great job preparing our guys."