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“Dominant” and “one-sided” are words that likely come to the minds of most when they think of recent LSU and Mississippi State matchups.But when the No. 5 Tigers (3-0, 1-0) take the field against the Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., LSU coach Les Miles knows past history will mean nothing in determining the winner.”They are potentially a very dangerous opponent,” Miles said. “Defensively, they play with a very tenacious, aggressive defense and have the ability to give you serious issues.”LSU has won the last eight meetings in the series by a combined 340-81, including last year’s season-opening 45-0 win in Starkville, Miss.Recent history had no impact on LSU’s last game, as the Tigers defeated Auburn, 26-21, marking the first time LSU won at Jordan-Hare Stadium since 1998.Redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee filled in for sophomore Andrew Hatch following a second half neck injury.Hatch said he expects to be available Saturday following the injury.Lee was 11-for-17 in the second half for 182 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a game-winner to junior receiver Brandon LaFell with just more than a minute to play.LaFell said the emotional victory will make it challenging to be mentally prepared to play a team they are favored to defeat by more than 20 points.”Just ask East Carolina,” he said referring to the Pirates’ 30-24 loss to N.C. State last Saturday. “They show up big when them big dogs come to play against them. But then they got upset by North Carolina State, who’s lost a couple of games. It’s easy to get up and play Florida, Auburn and Georgia. But those teams we traditionally beat every year, it’s a little bit harder.”Mississippi State enters Saturday’s game after a 38-7 loss to Georgia Tech.The Bulldogs allowed 438 rushing yards to the option-oriented Yellow Jackets in the loss.Bulldogs coach Sylvester Croom said he knows the Mississippi State front seven will again be heavily tested by LSU’s 17th-ranked rushing offense, a unit Croom said is one of the best in the nation.”There’s no loss in talent from their championship team last year,” he said. “There’s no drop off at all.”The Bulldogs’ strength also lies in their rushing game.Following a 1,000-yard season in 2007, junior running back Anthony Dixon has 270 yards and two touchdowns on 56 carries this season.An ankle injury to LSU senior linebacker Darry Beckwith may aid the Bulldogs rushing attack Saturday.But in Beckwith’s absence last weekend, the LSU rushing defense didn’t miss a beat and allowed 70 rushing yards to Auburn on 36 carries.Dixon knows how stout the LSU rush defense can be, averaging just more than two yards per carry against the Tigers in his career. Dixon said a win against LSU would get Mississippi State back on the right track to reach a bowl for the second straight season.”All season long, we’ve been just that one little play away,” he said. “But we still have a chance to make things right. And I see no better place to start than against a great team like LSU.”Miles said keeping Dixon in check would go a long way toward the Tigers defeating the Bulldogs for the ninth straight time.”He’s a tremendous player,” Miles said. “He has 2,000 yards in this league and is very accomplished.”—-Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]