LSU walked out of Saturday with a 31-0 win over Mississippi State, and the box score told a simple story: the Tigers controlled the game from start to finish.
The shutout carried real weight. It was LSU’s first SEC shutout since 2007, and that earlier blanking also came against Mississippi State.
This time, the Bulldogs were already shorthanded on offense, missing dynamic quarterback Kamario Taylor and leading rusher Fluff Bothwell because of injuries. That left redshirt freshman walk-on Parker “Billy” Puckett to make his first career start on the road in Tiger Stadium.
Puckett never really settled in. He finished 16 of 26 for 121 yards, with one interception and no touchdowns, and the LSU defense made sure the freshman looked the part.
On the other side, Sam Leavitt put together another clean performance and kept trending in the right direction. He’s now strung together four straight games with a completion percentage above 70%, and this one was especially sharp because it was the first time this season he didn’t turn the ball over at all. Leavitt completed 31 of 38 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns, marking the first time in his career that he threw four touchdown passes without an interception.
That kind of command is helping the offense come together, and Jackson Harris has become a big part of it. Harris posted 85 yards on six catches and scored twice, continuing to grow into the top target LSU had been searching for over the past few weeks.
Dilin Jones also gave the offense another layer. He finished with 142 total yards, including 84 on the ground and 58 through the air.
Jones now has back-to-back games with eight receptions, and that receiving work is changing what LSU can do on offense. It gives the Tigers more flexibility in play-calling and gives Leavitt an easier outlet when the pocket starts to close.
Not much went wrong in a game like this, though there is still one thing LSU can’t claim yet: a marquee win. Even with Mississippi State missing Taylor and Bothwell, the Tigers still haven’t landed that signature result this season.
They’re 2-2 in conference play, and both losses have come on the road against quality opponents. At some point, they’ll have to beat one of those teams.
Still, shutting out an SEC opponent is no small thing, even under these circumstances. Mississippi State had talented players on the field, and LSU kept them off the scoreboard anyway.
The one area that could linger is health. With Taylor and Bothwell already ruled out, the main goal was to leave the game in good shape. LSU mostly did that, but a few players still came out with issues.
Jackson Harris left after having his ankle rolled up on. He did not return, though the staff held him out as a precaution and did not believe it would be a long-term injury. Tre Brown also went off the field on crutches before later returning.
The biggest concern was senior edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, who exited with an apparent concussion. Lane Kiffin said during his Sunday Zoom press conference that he had no updates on Umanmielen’s status, so the next real chance for clarity may come when the injury report is released on Wednesday.
For now, LSU turns the page to Auburn, where the Tigers will face the Tigers on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
In Other News...
LSU's SEC Fight Just Raised A New Problem For Will Wade
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has jumped into LSUs ongoing fight with the SEC, filing a motion that seeks to knock out the conferences federal lawsuit against LSU officials. Murrill dismissed the SECs latest claims as a Hail Mary, a sign that the case, which began with allegations aimed at LSU football officials over recruiting ex-pro athletes, has now widened into a much messier battle for the university.
The expansion into mens basketball only adds to the pressure around Will Wades program, especially with the SEC now pressing beyond the original football-related dispute. Wade has already said he plans to follow conference rules that bar athletes who previously signed professional contracts from being rostered, but the conferences broader approach means LSU is now dealing with a legal fight that could reach deeper into how it handles basketball recruiting, too. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Roster Picture Just Changed With One Big Eligibility Twist
LSUs roster picture got a lot clearer with a wave of eligibility updates that should help settle some of the uncertainty around the mens basketball rotation. Saliou Niang, Brice Dessert, Skyy Clark and Donovan Dent have all been ruled eligible to play, giving the Tigers a stronger sense of what their lineup and depth chart can look like as the season approaches. Niang brings the promise of an athletic upside that has already made him stand out as an NBA draft pick, while Dessert is expected to add help in the frontcourt.
Dent and Clark, who were teammates at UCLA, now look set to be part of LSUs backcourt mix, an encouraging development for a team trying to build continuity in the right places. Even so, not every update was as clean, and one players status came with a less positive note, leaving at least one part of the roster situation still unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Should Keep An Eye On Bryce Underwood's Michigan Drama
Bryce Underwoods situation at Michigan has quickly become one of the more closely watched quarterback storylines in the country, and LSU fans have a natural reason to pay attention. The freshman has been benched, with Tommy Carr expected to take over as the starter in the upcoming game, which has only added to the uncertainty around Underwoods place in Ann Arbor and where his career might be headed next.
Underwood has not entered the transfer portal, but the chatter around his future is already building, and LSU is among the programs being mentioned as a possible landing spot if he chooses to move on. Miami, Texas Tech, Georgia and Kentucky are also in the mix, which means this could become a national recruiting and roster watch for the Tigers if the situation keeps trending in this direction. [Read more 🡒]