No. 22 LSU wasted no time making life miserable for Mississippi State on Saturday, rolling to a 31-0 shutout in Tiger Stadium and never giving the Bulldogs a chance to settle in.
The Bulldogs arrived in Baton Rouge short-handed, missing starting quarterback Kamario Taylor and running back Fluff Bothwell, and the absence showed from the opening snap. LSU, which moved to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play, pounced early and stayed in control all afternoon. Mississippi State dropped to 4-2 and 2-2.
Sam Leavitt was the engine of it all. LSU’s quarterback carved up the defense with a clean, efficient day, going 31 of 38 for 289 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. It was his first game as a Tiger without a pick.
The Tigers got on the board immediately when Leavitt hit Eugene Wilson III for a 10-yard touchdown on the opening possession. Before Mississippi State could find any rhythm, Leavitt struck again, this time connecting with Jackson Harris for a 27-yard score late in the first quarter. That same pairing delivered once more in the second quarter on a 17-yard touchdown, sending LSU into halftime with a 21-0 cushion.
Harris was Leavitt’s favorite target and LSU’s top receiver on the day, finishing with six catches for 85 yards and those two touchdowns. He later left the game with an apparent leg injury.
“There’s no team in America with more significant players on the sideline than us,” LSU coach Lane Kiffin said of the injuries.
Mississippi State never found much breathing room against LSU’s defense. Redshirt freshman Parker “Billy” Puckett made the start in Taylor’s place and completed 16 of 26 passes for 121 yards with an interception. The Bulldogs were held to 0-for-5 on fourth down, a clear sign of how often LSU closed the door when Mississippi State tried to extend drives.
The shutout held up the rest of the way. Scott Starzyk added a 26-yard field goal in the third quarter, and then Leavitt found Malik Elzy for a 6-yard touchdown late in the period to push the score to 31-0. From there, LSU’s defense finished the job.
The numbers told the same story. Mississippi State managed 291 total yards, with just 121 coming through the air. LSU finished with 379 total yards despite losing one fumble and putting up only 90 rushing yards.
Dilin Jones gave the Tigers steady production in the run game and as a receiver, rushing for 84 yards on 18 carries while adding eight receptions for 58 yards. On defense, TJ Dottery led LSU with eight total tackles, and Ty Benefield picked off Puckett to help preserve the shutout.
Coming off last week’s 35-34 overtime loss at Kentucky, LSU needed a clean response, and it got one. The Tigers scored on four Leavitt touchdown passes, blanked Mississippi State, and turned the page with a dominant home performance. LSU heads to Auburn next Saturday.
In Other News...
LSU Defense Just Took Another Hit It Couldnt Afford
LSUs defense was already working through plenty of strain, and it took another scare early against Mississippi State when edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen left in the first quarter after making his second tackle. He was evaluated by LSU trainers on the field before spending the rest of the first half on the sideline, a development that immediately raised more concern for a unit that has been hit hard already this season.
The Tigers have already lost two other starting defenders to injuries, so any health issue on that side of the ball carries extra weight. Umanmielens status loomed as the kind of update LSU could ill afford to wait on, especially with the defense trying to hold together depth and production at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Dominant Win Also Exposed One Offensive Concern
LSUs 31-0 shutout of Mississippi State was about as complete a Saturday as the Tigers could have hoped for. Sam Leavitt carved up the Bulldogs with four touchdown passes and no interceptions, and the defense and special teams did their part in a game that never really gave Mississippi State a chance to settle in, especially with the Bulldogs already short-handed at quarterback and running back.
Even so, the win didnt fully paper over one lingering offensive concern. LSU still had trouble getting much going on the ground, and that part of the attack remains worth watching as the schedule stiffens. The Tigers were efficient enough to overwhelm Mississippi State anyway, but if they want this kind of control against better opposition, the run game will need to become more than a background piece. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Got The Bounce-Back Win Fans Wanted At A Cost
LSU got the kind of clean, confidence-building win it badly needed Saturday, blanking Mississippi State 31-0 behind a defense that set the tone from the start. The Tigers made life miserable for the Bulldogs all afternoon, stuffing key drives and repeatedly ending possessions on failed fourth-down attempts while the offense did enough to keep the pressure on the other sideline.
The broader concern, though, is what came with the victory. LSU added injuries to key players, including wide receiver Jackson Harris and edge rusher Lamar Brown, even as Sam Leavitt and Dilin Jones helped steady the offense and Leavitt looked more comfortable with his timing and confidence. For a team trying to build momentum, the result was exactly what it wanted, but the health of a few important pieces leaves the next stretch of the season a lot less comfortable. [Read more 🡒]