By Matt Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

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Dan Mullens squad still must prove that it can be consistent before the Bulldogs get mentioned amongst the likes of Alabama and Auburn in the SEC West, but Mississippi State has already proven that it has the ability to successfully run the football against any opponent.

The ability to successfully run the football has always been paramount for winning championships in the Southeastern Conference. Finishing near the top of the conference in rushing offense has almost without fail resulted in positive results transpiring on the gridiron. In fact, the last SEC team to win the conference title without finishing in the top three in the league in rushing was Auburn back in 2004.

On Saturday night, Mississippi State emphatically announced its candidacy as a legitimate contender in the loaded SEC West with an impressive 34-29 road victory over No. 8 LSU. The win was the Bulldogs first road triumph over a top ten opponent in 28 years.

Not surprisingly, the Bulldogs ability to knock off one of college football perennial powers just so happens to coincides with the team developing into one of the top rushing teams in the conference.

Though it is still less than a month into the regular season, Mississippi State currently ranks third in the conference in rushing offense, averaging over 270 yards per contest on the ground.

The resurgence in the ground game has come thanks to a renewed commitment to continually pound the football at opposing defenses. The Bulldogs currently lead the SEC in rushing attempts (195), and they have averaged better than 5.5 yards per carry despite the fact that teams have attempted to key in on stopping their ground attack.

As always, the impetus for the improvement running the football has been a solid contribution from an experienced offensive line.

A year after finishing eighth in the conference with an average of 189.9 rushing yards per game, the Bulldogs welcomed back all three starters along the left side of the line in 2014. Leading the way in the current resurgence has been senior center Dillon Day, who has 38 career starts and has been named as a preseason candidate for the Rimington Trophy once again this season.

Days leadership and intelligence have been imperative to ensuring that the line maintains its composure on Saturday afternoons, but he has undoubtedly been aided significantly by his compatriots to his left. Left tackle Blaine Clausell is a returning two-year starter who has made significant strides over his collegiate career, while Ben Beckwith is one of the more unique stories in college football, as he is a former walk-on who has now become a mainstay in the trenches in Starkville.

With 71 starts return along the left side of the line heading into the start of the campaign, there were never any real concerns about how that side of the line would perform this fall. There were, however, quite a few questions about how the right side of the line would hold up with the focus being thrust in its direction.

Thus far, Justin Malone and Justin Senior have responded exceptionally well to the pressure, vastly surpassing the expectations for how they would play as a tandem. The Bulldogs have still found it preferable to run behind the left side of the line in critical situations, but there is certainly no lack of confidence in the ability of the line to function as one harmonious unit.

The timely development of the offensive line has subsequently allowed a talented bevy of skill position players to showcase their abilities more freely. Junior running back Josh Robinson is currently second in the SEC in rushing, churning out 485 yards through the first four contests. Nicknamed cBowling Balld by his teammates, Robinson has shown a propensity for gaining the tough yards in between the tackles, breaking through arm tackles with tremendous frequency.

But Mississippi States rushing attack hasnt thrived simply due to the efforts of Robinson. Rather, a multitude of capable runners have emerged as legitimate weapons with the ball in their hands.

The Bulldogs second-leading rusher is actually quarterback Dak Prescott, who can hurt defenses with his legs on both designed runs and broken passing plays. The necessity to account for the quarterback in the running game has undoubtedly opened holes for the other runners on the roster, as Prescott has generated 378 yards of his own via the ground.

Dan Mullens squad still must prove that it can be consistent before the Bulldogs get mentioned amongst the likes of Alabama and Auburn in the SEC West, but Mississippi State has already proven that it has the ability to successfully run the football against any opponent.

And if the Bulldogs are somehow able to keep up their current pace on the ground, there is a serious chance that they could factor into the mix in the SEC West at the end of the regular season.