Mississippi State Football: 3 Reasons Bulldogs Will Upset LSU Tigers

The No. 25 Mississippi State Bulldogs host the No. 3 LSU Tigers tonight at Davis Wade Stadium in a rare Thursday night SEC battle. The Tigers are among the favorites to compete for the National Championship this season, while the Bulldogs are one of seven Top-25 teams in the SEC.

LSU has rolled through its opponents the past two weeks despite the suspension of quarterback Jordan Jefferson. The Tigers impressively opened the season with 40-27 victory over the Oregon Ducks, although the game was actually more one-sided than the score indicates.

The Bulldogs entered the season as a popular sleeper pick in the SEC, but they experienced a hiccup last weekend when they lost to the No. 21 Auburn Tigers by a touchdown on the road. The loss bumped Mississippi State to the bottom of the rankings, but the team still remains extremely dangerous.

The Bulldogs came up just inches short of tying Auburn in the late stages of the game, as quarterback Chris Relf couldn't break the goal line on an option keeper. The Bulldogs are sure to be hungry to atone for that loss and it could be at the expense of LSU.

Here are three reasons why Mississippi State will upset LSU tonight. 

Home-field Advantage

A Thursday night game at Mississippi State is sure to be a big deal, such a big deal, in fact, that classes were cancelled today in anticipation of the game. Tonight's game will mark the Bulldogs' home opener, so the crowd is sure to be raucous.

The Bulldogs haven't been dramatically better at home than on the road over the past few seasons, but this year's team looks to be the program's best in quite some time. LSU is nearly unbeatable at home, but the Tigers have suffered some tough defeats on the road in recent years, including losses to Auburn and Arkansas last season.

It would unwise to suggest the Bulldogs will win the game simply because they're the home team, but these two teams are more evenly matched than many realize and home-field advantage could give the Bulldogs a slight edge.  

Jarrett Lee

There were plenty of questions with regards to how the Tigers would fare without quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who is suspended indefinitely for his role in a bar fight. Luckily for LSU, the team had the services of senior quarterback Jarrett Lee, who has plenty of starting experience.

Lee has played fine over the season's first two games, but he doesn't seem to be the type of signal caller capable of single-handedly winning the Tigers games. His performance against FCS Northwestern State last week was stellar, but he was quite mediocre against Oregon as he completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes for just 98 yards.

Luckily for Lee, the Tigers have a solid running game and one of the nation's best defenses. If either of those facets of LSU's game fail, however, Lee will be counted upon to make more plays. If the Bulldogs can somehow jump on LSU early, the Tigers will be forced to throw the ball with more regularity. This could prove disastrous for LSU and lead to a Mississippi State victory.

Running Game

There is no question that the strength of Mississippi State's football team is its running game. Through two games, senior running back Vick Ballard has torched opposing defenses to the tune of 365 total yards and four touchdowns. If that weren't enough, dual-threat quarterback Chris Relf has added 157 rushing yards of his own.

Yardage likely won't come so easily against LSU's stout defense, but if the Bulldogs are to stand a chance in this game, the running game must excel. If Ballard and Relf can move the chains and keep the Tiger defense on the field for extended periods of time, then the Bulldogs will hold a huge advantage.

Mississippi State needs to set the tone running the ball in the early going and preferably get on the score board. If the Bulldogs can build an early two-score lead by virtue of the running game, it will force LSU outside its comfort zone and make quarterback Jarrett Lee make plays. A Bulldogs win is far from a guarantee, but if the running game clicks, it is a very real possibility.