THE GOOD

11: Sacks by Mississippi State defenders so far this season. The Bulldogs rank eighth in the nation in this category and are tied with Missouri for tops in the SEC. Senior defensive end Preston Smith, junior middle linebacker Benardrick McKinney and sophomore defensive tackle Chris Jones are tied for the team lead with two sacks apiece through three games. In addition to 11 sacks, Mississippi State’s defense has also applied 17 quarterback hurries so far this season.

5.35: Mississippi State’s yards per carry average in 2014. The Bulldogs rank 22nd in the nation in rush offense but just fifth in the SEC, averaging more than 260 yards per game on the ground on just fewer than 49 carries per ballgame. To contrast, LSU’s rushing offense is 10th in the conference averaging 226 yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry.

12: Dak Prescott’s total touchdowns this season. Prescott led the nation with eight passing touchdowns through two weeks, and now sits at nine touchdowns through the air in 2014. He added a pair of rushing touchdowns in back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances the last two weeks, and caught his third career touchdown reception in last week’s win over South Alabama. Prescott is the most versatile quarterback in the SEC and he has a nose for the end zone when the football is in his hands.

THE BAD

42: The Bulldogs’ third down conversion rate on offense this season. Mississippi State has converted just 19 of 45 third downs through three weeks, ranking it 10th in the SEC in that category. LSU has only allowed opponents to convert 11 of 43 third down opportunities, and that 25.58 percent opponent conversion rate ranks 10th in the nation.

8: The number of points per game LSU has allowed so far in 2014. After falling behind 24-7 early in the second half of their Week 1 matchup with Wisconsin, the Tigers have not allowed a point for nearly 10 full quarters. LSU ranks second in the nation in scoring defense, which will make Mississppi State’s task all that much tougher in Death Valley Saturday night.

14: The number of consecutive wins by LSU over Mississippi State in this annual SEC West rivalry. The number 14 can also represent the number of consecutive games Dan Mullen has lost to ranked opponents dating back to the 2011 season. The last time Mississippi State beat LSU was in 1999, and the last time the Bulldogs won in Death Valley was in 1991.