LSU vs. Mississippi State: Bulldogs skidding into Death Valley

Hopeful they can bounce back from a disappointing loss to Alabama, the LSU Tigers will square off this Saturday against a Mississippi State team currently riding a two-game losing streak.

The Bulldogs opened the year with an impressive 7-0 record, but have dropped consecutive games to both Alabama and Texas A&M to fall to just 3-2 in SEC play. Despite being outscored 76-20 over the last two games, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen told David Brandt of The Advocate he still doesn't expect to alter his mindset against the Tigers. For Mullen, the Bulldogs' biggest Achilles' heel as of late has been the bevy of small mistakes that add up over time.

"If you’re a student of the game and study the game, it is simple — you see a minor breakdown here and a minor breakdown there," Mullen said. "When you make a mistake against quality teams, it costs you."

The Tigers earned a tight 19-6 victory over the Bulldogs last season in Starkville, and should enter Saturday's showdown with a must-win mindset. While Mississippi State still owns the 23rd-ranked defense in the country at 19.7 points allowed per game, it's hard to imagine that Mullen's team will be completely prepared for the Tigers after being overmatched the last two weeks.