Leading up to this week’s showdown with No. 8 LSU, Saturday Down South breaks down Mississippi State’s chances to beat the highly ranked Tigers.

THE SKINNY: History says the Mississippi State Bulldogs don’t have a chance to beat No. 8 LSU in Death Valley Saturday night, but MSU head coach Dan Mullen is hoping to undo a few negative trends working against his team with a victory this weekend. Mississippi State hasn’t beaten LSU in Baton Rouge since 1991, and Mullen hasn’t beaten a ranked opponent since early in the 2010 season (he’s 0-14 in the regular season against ranked opponents since that time). LSU is the first of five top 10 opponents on Mississippi State’s schedule, and the result of Saturday night’s game could decide whether MSU is a contender or a pretender in the stacked SEC West.

KEY PLAYER: Quarterback Dak Prescott is the key player for Mississippi State in Saturday night’s showdown, as the Bulldogs offense will only go as far as Prescott can lead it. He has looked electrifying with both his arm and his legs this season, and could be the only member of the MSU offense capable of leaving a vaunted LSU defense off-balance. The junior signal caller will need big performances from his supporting cast, both along the offensive line and at the skill positions, but a career night from Prescott would give the Bulldogs their best chance at an upset in a Saturday night primetime game.

WHAT TO WATCH: Fans should keep an eye on what Mississippi State’s secondary does to contain LSU wideout Travin Dural. The Bulldogs defense has been stingy against the run all season, and they’ll do all they can to silence a solid Tigers rushing attack Saturday night. However, the MSU secondary has been susceptible to big plays this season, and no one on LSU’s roster is more capable of breaking a big play than Dural, who is statistically-speaking one of the best receivers in the nation. Mississippi State’s defensive backs cannot afford to let Dural get behind them, and they’ll go out of their way to keep that from happening, even if it means leaving other LSU wideouts in one-on-one coverage. The Tigers will look to Dural early and often against Mississippi State, and it will be fascinating to see if MSU can stop him, and if any other LSU receivers can make a difference on the other side of the field to open up the Tigers’ offense.

FINAL SAY: Of the five top 10 teams from the SEC West left on Mississippi State’s schedule, the Bulldogs may match up best with LSU. The Tigers greatest strength on offense is running the football, while Mississippi State’s greatest strength on defense is stopping the run. Likewise, the Bulldogs most dynamic weapon is Prescott, who will face an LSU defense ranked among the best in the country. These two teams are not separated by much, which is unusual considering one team is ranked in the top 10 and the other remains unranked altogether. If Mississippi State wins Saturday, which is very well could, expect both teams to appear in Sunday’s new Associated Press Poll.