HOT: FRONT SEVEN

Mississippi State’s defensive front seven has been dominant in its 3-0 start to the season. The Bulldogs’ allowed their last opponent, South Alabama, to rush for just 57 yards for the game, and through three weeks this season MSU is second in the SEC in run defense, allowing just 80 yards per contest.

The Bulldogs have plenty of NFL-caliber talent in their starting lineup. Senior defensive end Preston Smith has been named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for three straight weeks to open the season, the first time a player has ever earned the honor three times in a row at any time during the season. Junior middle linebacker Benardrick McKinney — a projected first round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft — is 12th in the SEC with 20 tackles this season, and fourth in the conference with 5 tackles for loss. Smith and linebacker Beniquez Brown also rank in the top 15 in the SEC in tackles for loss.

State is preparing to face an LSU team that has four talented tailbacks and has rushed for the fourth most yards of any team in the SEC. If the Bulldogs hope to upset the Tigers, they’ll need their front seven to play big in Death Valley Saturday night,

WARM: MISSISSIPPI STATE RUSHING ATTACK

The Bulldogs are fifth in the SEC in rushing offense at better than 260 yards per game, and the tandem of quarterback Dak Prescott and tailback Josh Robinson is just beginning to hit its stride. Prescott has rushed for 100 yards in two straight games, and Robinson has rushed for at least 77 yards in all three of Mississippi State’s games in 2014.

Prescott has the obvious added threat of the pass, and Robinson is an above-average receiver out of the backfield, giving both players a second dimension to their games that can open up running lanes over the course of a game. LSU’s defense is nothing to scoff at, but if Robinson breaks a couple of runs early and Prescott is able to get outside the pocket when he needs to, the Bulldogs’ run game could help the offense have a big night in Baton Rouge.

COLD: BULLDOGS’ SECONDARY

Mississippi State’s secondary played better against South Alabama than it did one week earlier against UAB, but the Bulldogs still allowed their fifth play of 40-or-more yards this season when South Alabama quarterback Brandon Bridge connected with wideout Shavarez Smith on a 42-yard completion last week.

The Bulldogs cannot afford to give a struggling LSU passing game any chances at a big play, especially not star wideout Travin Dural. Dural is third in the SEC averaging 123 yards per game, and is tied for the league lead with four touchdown receptions. The rest of LSU’s entire team has combined to catch just two touchdown passes.

On a down-by-down basis, the Mississippi State secondary has held up well through three weeks. But the secondary’s propensity to allow big plays at inopportune times (is there really a good time to allow a big play?) could bail out LSU quarterback Anthony Jennings in a heavyweight SEC West showdown.

FROZEN: BAD HISTORY VS. LSU

As far as the history books are concerned, Mississippi State doesn’t have a chance in this game. Previous matchups mean nothing once the teams step between the lines, but it should be noted the Bulldogs will have to overcome a number of trends working against them should they hope to upset the Tigers Saturday night.

For starters, LSU has beaten Mississippi State every year since 1999, and has won or tied 74 of 107 matchups in the series’ history. Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen has lost 14 straight regular season games to ranked teams and the Bulldogs’ allowed last year’s showdown with LSU turn from a nail-biter to a rout in the blink of an eye (the Tigers scored 28 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and won by 33).

If history is any indication, Mississippi State will have its work cut out for it against the No. 8 team in the nation in one of the toughest environments in college football: Saturday night in Death Valley.