Dan Mullen likes to run the ball, and his Mississippi State offense will have plenty of opportunities to do so Saturday night against Southern Miss.

The Bulldogs are heavy favorites over their in-state rivals from Hattiesburg, and perhaps the greatest mismatch between these two teams can be found in the ground game when MSU has the ball. The Golden Eagles defense ranked 113th against the run lasts season, while Mississippi State’s rushing offense ranked in the top-half of the nation with 190 yards per contest in 2013.

Josh Robinson takes over as MSU’s featured back this season after emerging in the Bulldogs’ offense last year with 459 yards on 5.9 yards per carry. He will be joined in the Mississippi State backfield by dual-threat quarterback and Heisman hopeful Dak Prescott, who led the team with 829 yards rushing a season ago.

The Bulldogs are replacing Gabe Jackson at left guard and the injured Damien Robinson at right tackle, but they are still likely to pound the football, especially in the second half if they’re leading by a wide margin.

Factor in some potentially messy weather in Starkville tonight, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a run-heavy gameplan on offense. Look for Prescott and Robinson to both have breakout performances in the run game tonight as the Bulldogs push the 200-yard plateau on the ground.