LSU vs. Mississippi State: 5 Things the Bulldogs Have to Do to Upset the Tigers

Going into the season, we all expected the SEC West to be a grueling, intense battle, and we certainly got a taste of that in the Auburn-Mississippi State game, when the Tigers came up with an enormous goal line stop to seal the victory.

That game was a gut-wrenching loss for the Bulldogs, but they now get a chance to bounce back and show America that they truly are a legitimate threat when they host No. 3 LSU tonight.

LSU has yet to play a true road game, and it will be interesting to see how QB Jarrett Lee fares in a loud, pressure-packed environment.

Does Mississippi State have what it takes to pull off the first earth-shaking upset of the 2011 season?

Here’s a look at five things the Bulldogs must do to take down the Tigers.

1. Force Jarrett Lee to Make Critical Mistakes

LSU QB Jarrett Lee has been solid so far, and he made a big improvement this week against Northwest State, but how much trust can we put in him?

He's still getting used to the idea of starting after being thrown in as Jordan Jefferson's quick replacement, and we still can't be sure if he can lead on offense in a loud road atmosphere.

The Dawg Pound will be rocking tonight.

Will Lee be rattled by the cowbells?

The Bulldogs pass-rushers have to get to Lee early and keep him feeling jumpy all night long.

And watch out, because one or two early picks could send Lee into self-destruction mode.

2. Win in the Trenches

LSU’s defensive line is loaded with impact players, and the one lineman that Mississippi State really has to worry about is DT Michael Brockers.

Remember last year when Mississippi State played Auburn in a similar early-season Thursday night environment and DT Nick Fairley absolutely obliterated them?

Well, the Bulldogs can’t let that happen again with Brockers, a big, disruptive menace in the middle of the LSU defensive line.

Mississippi State has to hope injured center Quentin Saulsberry is ready to go for tonight’s big battle up front.

3. Unleash Vick Ballard

The SEC is loaded with great backs like Alabama’s Trent Richardson, South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore and Auburn’s Michael Dyer, which makes you appreciate just how good current conference leading rusher Vick Ballard really is.

Ballard has already rushed for 301 yards and four touchdowns in just two games, and the 5’11’’, 220-pound senior has proven to be a game-changing playmaker for the Mississippi State offense.

The former JUCO transfer is one of the strongest and most powerful backs in the country, and the scary part is that coach Dan Mullen knows exactly how to get the most out of him in his spread system.

4. Let Chris Relf Throw

Even though he came up a foot short in the loss to Auburn last week, Chris Relf is still one of the best option quarterbacks in America.

Relf is a dangerous runner who fits perfectly in Mullen’s spread offense, but I want to see if he’s improved as a passer.

So far, the senior signal-caller has completed 61 percent of his passes for 397 yards and three touchdowns.

Not bad, not great.

If you want to move the ball effectively against a defense the caliber of LSU’s, the offense will need to have some balance.

Relf is capable of moving the offense down the field with his arm, but he has to be wary of a secondary that features two of the best cornerbacks in America: Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne.

If Relf can make a few big passes against the LSU secondary, it will soften up the defense and allow Vick Ballard more room to operate on the ground.

5. Play Fast

Time to pick up the tempo.

In their opening season victory over Oregon, LSU was gradually able to slow down the Ducks' fast-paced offensive attack, and their plan worked to perfection.

In this game, Mississippi State needs to play fast and play uptempo.

The LSU defensive line is deep, and it’s going to take a lot to wear all of them down, but the quicker the Mississippi State offense can play, the better chance they have of tiring out the LSU defensive front.

When an option offense is coming at you play in and play out, and the pacing is right, it can be downright disorienting for a defense.

Dan Mullen and Chris Relf need to keep the offensive train rolling at a fast pace to keep the LSU defense on its toes.

Can They Do It?

The decisive player in this game is Mississippi State QB Chris Relf.

Even if Vick Ballard has a big game, I still think Relf will have to make at least that one big play to really get Mississippi State over the hump.

If Relf plays like Cam Newton for a night, LSU will be in a lot of trouble.

If Relf struggles, it’s going to be hard for Mississippi State to even hang around.

Either way, tonight’s game is one of the most intriguing matchups of the weekend, and it’s definitely one that will start to shape the all-important SEC West race.