LSU didn’t just bounce back Saturday - it took control from the start and never let Mississippi State breathe in a 31-0 matinee win in Death Valley.
That came with a battered roster, too. The Tigers entered the day already dealing with a long injury list, then lost a star wide receiver and an edge rusher during the game. None of it mattered against a short-handed Mississippi State team that was missing starting quarterback Kamario Taylor and running back Fluff Bothwell and had to turn to redshirt freshman Parker Puckett for his first start.
Puckett never settled in. LSU’s pressure kept him uncomfortable, and the Bulldogs spent much of the afternoon stuck trying to force things on fourth down.
They went 0-for-5 in those spots, and even their best chance to score disappeared after they reached LSU’s 2-yard line with first-and-goal just before halftime. The Tigers slammed the door anyway and finished the shutout.
The secondary helped make that possible. Safety Ty Benefield and cornerback PJ Woodland were in the middle of three of the four stops in that critical goal-line sequence, and Benefield also picked off his first pass as a Tiger. It was the kind of day where every defensive back seemed to leave a mark.
LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker kept changing the picture on Puckett, and one of the most effective wrinkles was sending three edge rushers on third down even after Princewill Umanmielen left with an injury in the second quarter. LSU also lost freshman edge Lamar Brown to injury, but the rush never really let up.
The Tigers were just as thin at linebacker, with Whit Weeks out and depth piece Tylen Singleton ruled out Saturday morning. That left TJ Dottery and Davhon Keys on the field for almost the whole game, and they helped keep Mississippi State from finding much room on the ground.
Once the defense stacked up enough stops, LSU’s offense found its rhythm and started rolling. Running back Dilin Jones was the spark, piling up 142 all-purpose yards while breaking tackles all over the field. He accounted for 35 of LSU’s 60 yards on the opening touchdown drive, which ended with a Eugene Wilson III receiving score.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt kept leaning on Jackson Harris, and that connection paid off twice before Harris exited with a right ankle injury midway through the third quarter, according to the LSU radio broadcast. The Hawaii transfer was LSU’s second major injury loss of the day, but not before he delivered a team-leading 85 yards and two touchdowns. His first score came with Harris shrugging off multiple tacklers and dragging defenders across the goal line.
Leavitt had time to operate behind a Bulldog front seven that never really got comfortable. Jones consistently got through the first wave, and the pocket kept opening up for the quarterback.
On both the Wilson touchdown and Harris’ second score, another receiver was available first, but Leavitt went to his preferred target instead. That could matter later against top-10 opponents like Alabama, which has a loaded secondary.
Still, the bigger picture for LSU is hard to miss. Leavitt has looked like a much better quarterback, and his confidence and timing with the receivers have taken a clear step forward since the season began. The offense, with a new staff and system, has been building toward this, and the results are starting to show.
LSU now turns quickly to Auburn, where it will play in the Tiger Bowl rivalry on Oct. 24. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
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 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 🡒]
LSU Just Got The Break It Needed In The Playoff Chase
LSU walks into Saturday with a little more breathing room in the playoff chase, because Mississippi State is dealing with key injury questions at the most important spots. Quarterback Kamario Taylor and top rusher Fluff Bothwell are both listed as doubtful, which could force the Bulldogs to lean on Parker Puckett or AJ Swann under center when they come to Baton Rouge. For a Tigers team still trying to sharpen its own play and improve its season record, the matchup has taken on a more favorable look than it might have a few days ago.
For LSU, the path remains pretty clear: play cleaner football, cut down on turnovers and keep stacking wins if the College Football Playoff conversation is going to stay alive. An injury-depleted Mississippi State offense would not solve every problem, but it does create an opening for LSU to control the game if it can handle its own details. The Tigers have the kind of opportunity now that can matter in November, and they need to take advantage of it. [Read more 🡒]