MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — Mississippi State’s Anthony Dixon knew all of the 11 Middle Tennessee State defenders were focused on him Saturday.

Didn’t matter.

The running back rushed for 135 yards and two spectacular touchdowns to become Mississippi State’s career rushing leader as the Bulldogs beat the Blue Raiders 27-6 on Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak.

‘‘I couldn’t do anything but grin because it’s been a grind,’’ Dixon said of realizing he’d clinched the record. ‘‘I definitely have taken my fair share of licks. It’s just a dream come true.’’

Dixon passed Jerious Norwood on the career list with a 57-yard touchdown run and clinched his fifth straight 100-yard game by halftime, pushing him past Norwood in that category with 14. He’ll tie the school record for consecutive 100-yard games if he can do it against No. 1 Florida next week.

He now has 3,299 yards rushing with at least six games left this season to add to it.

A week after carrying three Houston defenders the final 10 yards of a 60-yard scoring run, Dixon again displayed his uncommon athletic ability on his two touchdown runs against Middle Tennessee. On his first score, the 6-foot-1, 235-pound senior used his muscle to break through the line, then outsprinted the entire Blue Raiders defense.

The second touchdown likely will put him back on the highlight shows. He took the handoff at the 1, dived over the line and was hit in the legs before completing a mid-air flip and landing on his feet.

There was no chance Dixon could’ve landed such a maneuver previously in his career. He credits Dan Mullen’s new staff with getting him into the best shape of his life, both mentally and physically.

‘‘I really feel like I’m on another level,’’ said Dixon, who entered the game as the nation’s No. 11 rusher. ‘‘A lot of it is thanks to them, and a lot of it (comes) from me just wanting to be the best personally. I think I really made up my mind just to go after the top guys. Whoever they are, I’m right behind them. I’m coming up behind them. That’s how I look at it right now.’’

The Blue Raiders (3-3) were focused on Dixon from the start and the Bulldogs (3-4) made them pay when Tyson Lee faked the handoff to the running back late in the first quarter, then ran untouched for 39 yards straight upfield as the entire Middle Tennessee defense chased Dixon to the sideline.

It was the Bulldogs defense, though, that won the game. In the second half, Mississippi State intercepted four passes and held the Blue Raiders to 81 total yards. And the Bulldogs shut down the Middle Tennessee running game throughout, limiting it to 42 yards.

Middle Tennessee quarterback Dwight Dasher was suspended for the first quarter for missing a workout and the Blue Raiders offense was buried in its own end much of that time.

Once Dasher returned, though, the Blue Raiders matched the Bulldogs yard for yard the remainder of the half, but couldn’t capitalize on two trips deep into Mississippi State territory.

Dasher drove the Blue Raiders to the Bulldogs 1 on his first drive, but Mississippi State held them to no yards from there and they settled for a field goal.

Two drives later Taylor hit a couple of big passes and brought Middle Tennessee all the way to the Mississippi State 7. But again the Bulldogs held and forced another short kick from Alan Gendreau, who tied his own school record with his eighth consecutive field goal.

‘‘You cannot kick field goals against an SEC team and expect to win,’’ Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill said.

There were no more scoring chances from there after Mississippi State’s defense locked down on Middle Tennessee in the second half.

Corey Broomfield, making his first start, ended two drives with interceptions and Johnthan Banks picked off Dasher to finish another threat. Then Banks picked up the Bulldogs’ fourth interception when he stepped in front of a Sancho McDonald pass on a trick play, setting up Dixon’s last touchdown.

‘‘I’ll tell it to you straight,’’ Mullen said. ‘‘In today’s world it is really hard to win a Division I football game. Middle Tennessee is a team coming in here who was playing really good football with (a big win) over Maryland using a stingy defense. They were planning for a big day with this being the first time an SEC school came to their place.’’