LSU walked out of Tiger Stadium on Saturday with the kind of clean, emphatic win it badly needed, shutting out Mississippi State 31-0 and getting a reset on both sides of the ball.
The Tigers’ defense answered after last week’s rough outing at Kentucky, while the offense kept the pressure on behind quarterback Sam Leavitt, who threw four touchdown passes in LSU’s most complete performance of the season. The victory also came with a few concerns, as injuries kept stacking up even in a game LSU controlled from start to finish.
Leavitt turned in his sharpest outing in an LSU uniform. He was efficient, decisive and mistake-free, finishing 31 of 38 for 289 yards with four touchdowns.
It was his first game at LSU without a turnover, a welcome development even if some of his earlier interceptions had not really been on him. With his hamstring still not back to full strength, Leavitt again had to work from the pocket, and that’s where the growth showed.
Early in the year, he was making plays but looking uneasy. Against Mississippi State, he looked settled and in command.
If that version of Leavitt sticks around, LSU has a real shot to stay in the CFP mix.
The ground game got plenty from Dilin Jones as well. He finished with 142 total yards and made noise as both a runner and a receiver. Jackson Harris led the wideouts with six catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns, giving LSU another productive piece in the passing game.
Still, the Tigers had to absorb some damaging injury news. They were already without safety Da'Shawn Spears for the year, while Whit Weeks and Trey'Dez Green are out for all of October.
On Saturday, the losses kept coming when star defensive end Princewill Umanmielen left and did not return, and Harris also exited and didn’t come back. Both are major pieces, and LSU can’t afford to be without either one for long.
The bye week in two weeks can’t get here fast enough, but first comes a road trip to Auburn. If LSU is short-handed again next week, some younger players will need to step into bigger roles.
The defense, at least, looked much more like itself. After giving up 35 points at Kentucky, Blake Baker’s group put together a response game.
Mississippi State was missing key players, but LSU still handled its business like a defense that was supposed to. The Bulldogs had 18 first downs, yet they went just 7 of 20 on late downs.
Parker Puckett was limited to 4.7 yards per attempt, and LSU’s front seven spent much of the afternoon creating chaos in the backfield.
Jordan Ross was a big reason why. The LSU defensive end racked up five pressures and two sacks, continuing to pile up production after winning SEC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 1 against Clemson. With Umanmielen leaving the game, Ross was asked to carry even more of the load, and he delivered.
There was also a piece of history tucked into the win. LSU recorded its 76th victory over Mississippi State, more than it has against any other opponent in program history.
Since the SEC expanded in 1992, LSU is 29-4 against the Bulldogs. And the shutout marked LSU’s first against an SEC team since blanking Mississippi State in 2007.
For LSU, the bigger picture is clear. With two losses already, the Tigers need to keep winning if they want a shot at the College Football Playoff.
A 9-3 SEC team could still sneak in, but 10-2 would make LSU a lock. The road now leads to Auburn, and if LSU wins there, Lane Kiffin and Co. will go into November at 6-2 with three of the final four games at home.
In Other News...
LSU Defense Just Took Another Hit It Couldnt Afford
LSUs defense was already short on answers, and it took another hit early against Mississippi State when edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen left in the first quarter after making his second tackle. He was checked on the field by LSU trainers and then spent the rest of the first half watching from the sideline, a rough development for a unit that has been trying to piece itself together.
The timing matters because LSU has already had to absorb injuries to two other starting defenders this season, leaving the Tigers with even less margin for error on that side of the ball. Any extended absence would only deepen the challenge for a defense that can ill afford to keep losing experienced pieces as the schedule moves on. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Got The Bounce-Back Win Fans Wanted At A Cost
LSU got the kind of response it needed Saturday, blanking Mississippi State 31-0 and putting together the sort of complete performance that had been missing in recent weeks. The defense set the tone early and never let the Bulldogs get comfortable, shutting down drives and turning multiple fourth-down chances into empty trips while the offense found a steadier rhythm behind quarterback Sam Leavitt and running back Dilin Jones.
The win, though, came with a familiar sort of concern for a team still trying to get healthy. LSU also came out of the game with new injuries to key players, including wide receiver Jackson Harris and edge rusher Lamar Brown, adding to the uncertainty surrounding a roster that finally looked organized on the field. Leavitt's better timing and confidence were a promising sign, but the larger question now is whether the Tigers can build on it without losing more pieces along the way. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Is Pushing An Eligibility Fight The SEC May Not Tolerate
LSUs latest off-court battle is not about a game plan or a depth chart, but about whether the school has gone too far in pushing eligibility rules on behalf of its programs. The issue has flared around former professional players brought in by mens basketball coach Will Wade and football coach Lane Kiffin, with the school leaning on legal action to get those players onto campus teams despite NCAA restrictions.
Louisiana courts have already granted preliminary injunctions that helped some of those former pros suit up, but the bigger threat is now coming from the SEC itself. The conference has warned that LSU could be expelled over what it sees as a lack of institutional control, turning a roster-building strategy into a potential league-wide crisis for an athletic department already under scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]