The Week 4 matchup between undefeated, 14th-ranked Mississippi State against undefeated Kentucky is shaping up to be quite a game.

Things have gotten even more interesting now that we’re getting a little chatter from the star running back of the Wildcats, Benny Snell, who announced “I’m going to run on any team. You could be an NFL team and my college team, it don’t matter. This offense don’t fear nobody.”

Now, to be fair to Snell, he also was complimentary of the Bulldogs, giving props to their defensive line and linebackers, acknowledging their skill level as well as the fact that the Wildcats needed to be prepared, so State fans shouldn’t go off the deep end taking offense. All in all, it seemed like it was in good fun, with Snell providing the sexy quote that he’s been known to deliver. But in all seriousness, the Kentucky rushing attack versus the Bulldogs front seven is going to be one heck of a fun matchup to watch.

The Wildcats are averaging 282.3 yards rushing per game, good for No. 11 nationally, and the Bulldogs are allowing just 85 rushing yards per game, which is No. 13 nationally.

Kentucky’s strength obviously is the rushing attack, primarily led by Snell, the 5-11, 223-pounder who was a first-team All-SEC pick a year ago. He’s been nothing short of an historic tailback for Kentucky, shattering a number of school records and is on pace to break even more. Through just 29 games, Snell has rushed for 2,799 yards with 35 TDs, averaging 5.5 yards per carry throughout his career. So far in 2018, he’s already racked up 375 yards and 3 TDs on just 62 carries this year, averaging a career-best 6 yards per carry. He’s on pace for a third consecutive 1,000-yard season. Just 5 SEC running backs have ever had three 1,000-yard seasons in a career, regardless of order.

QB Terry Wilson has also been a factor in the rushing attack, rushing for 223 yards and 2 TDs, so the Bulldogs can’t afford to overlook him, either. But the heartbeat of the Cats rushing attack is Snell, who’s mere presence forces defenses to focus their attention heavily on him, which opens up Wilson for play fakes and misdirections to the backside. Both Wilson and Snell have taken advantage of the experienced offensive line, a unit that has played very well so far.

Snell will have his hands full trying to find rushing lanes against the Mississippi State defense, though, just like he did last year. When the Cats came to Starkville in 2017, Snell had his worst game of the year, rushing for just 18 yards on 7 carries in a blowout 45-7 loss (statistically the bowl game was his worst performance, but he was tossed early on, so it’s hard to count that).

A big reason Snell had so much trouble against State last year was because of just how talented and effective the Bulldogs defensive line was. They had the speed and range to cut off lanes to the outside. They had the power to remain stout on the line of scrimmage and not be moved off the ball. They had the quickness and athleticism to penetrate and make plays in the backfield. And don’t forget about the linebackers, either, who are often overlooked due to the extraordinary line. Unfortunately for Snell, all the major contributors returned along that defensive line and linebacker corps and are again playing at a high level.

Stopping the run has become somewhat of a calling card for the Mississippi State defense in recent years. They have cycled through defensive coordinators on a yearly basis, but they’ve been consistently solid against the run despite the turnover, especially lately.

In 2016, running lanes were easier to find. Snell pounded the Bulldogs for 128 yards, helping the Wildcats win 40-38.

However, since the beginning of 2017, Mississippi State has allowed just three ball-carriers to cross the 100-yard threshold on them — Ole Miss’ Jordan Wilkins, Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson and Lamar Jackson, Louisville’s Heisman-winning quarterback. Alabama, considered the gold standard of run defense who finished No. 1 nationally in rushing yards per game last year, has allowed just 2 in that time span — Wilkins and Johnson. Something tells me even Alabama would have had a hard time keeping Jackson under 100 as well.

State will need to play up to its talent level to hold down Snell on Saturday. How well they played against him last year of no relevance whatsoever. He’s a gifted RB who is playing very well right now behind a good line, and his confidence has rubbed off on the rest of the offense. State can’t just rely on its resume, reputation or athleticism, it will need to play cohesively within the confines of the scheme to contain Snell.

It’s easy to see why this is shaping up to be such a fun game. The powerful Kentucky rushing attack against the frighteningly fast and athletic Mississippi State run defense. Nick Fitzgerald and the State offense against the stout Kentucky defense led by Josh Allen. A sixth-year HC in Mark Stoops looking for a long overdue breakthrough against the hotshot first-year HC Joe Moorhead, whose legend is rapidly growing among the State faithful.

Both teams are talented and hungry, and despite their early season successes, neither seems to really be getting the respect they deserve. Some might argue that neither team has played anybody of significance. Maybe. Maybe those naysayers haven’t really watched any of the games these teams played and instead haphazardly looked at the box score.

One way or another, the winner will continue to gain momentum and confidence heading into the meat of their schedule. And probably have a few words to say about it afterward, too.