JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mississippi State’s defense is predicated on two guiding principles: stop the run and hit the quarterback.

“At the beginning of the year, we said we didn’t want (any) quarterbacks to finish out the game,” Mississippi State sophomore cornerback Corey Broomfield said. “A lot of quarterbacks, they’ve felt us throughout the year.”

The Bulldogs’ defense now has the chance to get better acquainted with Michigan sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson, whose comfort level is a point of interest in Saturday’s Gator Bowl. If the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year can carry Michigan’s offense like he has done when healthy this season, the Wolverines will have a chance to keep up with the No. 21 team in the country.

The blitz-happy Bulldogs are known for their stout and strong front seven anchored by team captains — linebackers K.J. Wright and Chris White and defensive lineman Pernell McPhee. Mississippi State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz’s aggressive style is not going to change even though Robinson often has the option to throw or run the ball on any given play.

Diaz’s players have it drilled into their mindset. It’s an attitude and a personality on the field — they like to play in the other team’s backfield. There’s a big difference between 2nd-and-7 and 2nd-and-12.

Robinson and the Wolverines haven’t spent a whole lot of time going backward this season. The Bulldogs know exactly what Michigan’s spread offense, which produced more than 500 yards per game, wants to do.

The Wolverines are going to spread the Bulldogs out and try and take advantage of what is given. If Mississippi State stacks the box to stop Robinson, Michigan will have favorable matchups through the air.

“Even if you do everything right, it still creates a lot of one-on-ones,” Diaz said. “Everyone on the field has to count and everyone on the field has to tackle … because they’re going to spread you out and make that a one-on-one game. If we don’t win our one-on-ones, (Michigan’s) going to punish us.”

And Robinson will have junior wide receiver Martavious Odoms back for the first time since Odoms broke his foot in week six when the Wolverines played Michigan State.

Leading the charge into Michigan’s backfield will be White and Wright, who combined for nine sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss on the season. And McPhee and Fletcher Cox are bigger linemen who can get up field — with a combined 16 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

There’s no questioning the Bulldogs’ strength up the middle. It’s on the outside, where Robinson usually operates, that Mississippi State will have to contain and drive Robinson and the Wolverine skill position players back inside.

“We just want to bring an attacking style,” Broomfield said. “We’re going to make it a slugfest. People nowadays like to throw screens and everything else. We want to bring the game to (defensive tackle) Fletcher Cox (and defensive end) Purnell McPhee. We want to play inside of the tackles.”

Added Diaz: “Anything that occurs between the hash marks has to run between K.J. Wright and Chris White, and we’ve not incurred a lot of damage in that area because of those two guys.”

Down the stretch, Mississippi State’s defense struggled against then-No. 12 Alabama, losing 30-10 and then-No. 13 Arkansas, losing in double overtime, 38-31. The Bulldogs’ defense gave up big scoring plays in those games, and that’s a concern for Mississippi State — maybe the defense can be had on the perimeter.

Consider these touchdown plays that occurred three times per game: Alabama had a 78-yard run by Mark Ingram, a 56-yard pass from Greg McElroy to Julio Jones, and a 45-yard pass from McElroy. Then Arkansas’ Knile Davis broke a 62-yard run, and Ryan Mallett threw passes of 89 and 25 yards.

Of course those are two top-25 opponents with high-profile quarterbacks, but Broomfield said the issue was missed assignments and missed tackles — issues that have plagued Michigan’s defense at times this year. As he put it, they made easy plays, hard. But Mississippi State rebounded to beat Ole Miss 31-23 in the team’s season finale.

“If we don’t give up big plays, we’re hard to score points against,” Diaz said.

The matchup between Michigan’s defense and Mississippi State’s offense is less cut and dry. All season, the Michigan offense has had to compensate for a defense that allowed 34 points per game.