Returning home to play their first home game as the No. 1 in the country, Mississippi State will be pitting strength against strength when they come up against Arkansas on Saturday. The Bulldogs are quite adept at stopping the run on defense, while that’s all Arkansas does on offense. The winner of that clash could decide the outcome of the game.

Arkansas comes in with a grinding offense that doesn’t throw the ball much, good news for Mississippi State’s troublesome pass defense. The Razorbacks have a massive offensive line and a stable of running backs that includes Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams, who both rank in the top six in the conference in rushing yards. Collins started off the season on fire, but in recent weeks its been Williams seeing more of the carries.

The Bulldogs will have their hands full, but the defense should be up for the fight. Mississippi State is limiting opponents to 3.4 yards per carry, or half of what Arkansas is averaging (6.9 yards per carry). The run-stopping effort is led by two standout linebackers, NFL prospect Benardrick McKinney and emerging sophomore middle linebacker Beniquez Brown.

Brown in particular has been impressive in his first year calling the shots on defense, with coaches describing him as a playbook sponge. McKinney is an absolute monster, crushing ball-carriers with reckless abandon. He and senior Matthew Wells, the third starter at linebacker, both have 6 tackles for loss.

The defensive line, led by Preston Smith and his 8 TFL, will face one of its most difficult challenges of the season. Arkansas’ offensive line averages 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds. Left tackle Dan Skipper, who Smith will spend time matched up against, is one of the few players in the conference who towers over the 6-foot-6 Smith, standing at 6-foot-10 and 326 pounds.

If Bret Bielema’s massive group up front can push the Bulldogs around, it could be a long day for MSU.