ESPN college football analyst Cole Cubelic had plenty to like about LSU after the Tigers rolled past Mississippi State 31-0, and he opened his weekly “Sunday SEC takeaways” by pointing to how cleanly LSU executed on both sides of the ball.
On offense, Cubelic highlighted an early passing game built around the flat, which helped LSU stretch Mississippi State out and force defenders to run to the numbers. He also praised the tight ends for their work in the arch, split and pass protection, while noting the quarterback was efficient, took checkdowns, and worked the middle of the field.
The toss game, he said, helped set up play-action, and quarterback runs became part of the mix. Cubelic added that “13 really good in open field,” and said the quarterback showed more poise on the move when plays broke down.
He also felt LSU looked more committed to the run early, was “Better in SY,” and got production from the wide receivers and running backs after the catch. Up front, he described the offensive line as physical in pass protection and effective in finding work, with the zone scheme functioning much better.
He also singled out “44” for doing some nice things on offense.
The defense earned just as much praise. Cubelic called LSU “fast & aggressive,” with the edges doing a great job of attacking the mesh in both run and play-action.
He said the defense affected the quarterback, while “47 disrupted inside,” made the quarterback uncomfortable, and helped create a takeaway. “42 filled it up quick, pressured well,” he wrote, and “29 good rushing passer & playing run.” He also credited LSU for contesting quick throws, calling it a solid conference win on the road.
Cubelic’s comments on Mississippi State were less flattering, though he still pointed to a few individual efforts. He said the linebackers had eye violations and that split zone gave the Bulldogs problems.
Defensive line movement knocked them out of gaps, and while “9 had good pass rush,” Cubelic noted he didn’t overcommit to rushing the passer. He said Mississippi State needed more from the front, though “4 gave great effort again at LB.”
The Bulldogs also struggled in man coverage over the middle and were tested outside over the hash and numbers. Cubelic said they played hard but “Took themselves out of too many plays.”
He also pointed to a toss crack replace issue that gave up yards, though Mississippi State was good against reverse late.
On the other side of the ball, Cubelic said the quarterback had “a few sail on him,” calling it a tough spot, while “3 good in quick game.” He added that the tackles struggled in pass protection and didn’t handle edge defenders well enough, which affected longer-developing plays. Still, he finished with a note on “5,” who “ran hard, got back to LOS in a hurry.”
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