LSU may have just caught the break it needed.
With Mississippi State star quarterback Kamario Taylor and top rusher Fluff Bothwell both listed as doubtful on Friday night’s SEC student-athlete availability report, the No. 22 Tigers go into Saturday’s game against No.
16 Mississippi State with a clear opening in front of them. LSU opened as a 10.5-point favorite while Taylor’s status hung in the balance, and that number has jumped to 17.
The Tigers, at least on paper, have been handed a layup.
That matters because LSU does not have much room for error. The Tigers are 4-2, trying to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive, and still have No.
6 Alabama, No. 7 Texas and No.
14 Tennessee left on the schedule. If they’re going to claw their way back into the conversation, this is the kind of game they have to cash in on.
Taylor’s absence would be a major swing. He suffered a foot injury in Mississippi State’s Week 5 loss to Alabama, and the Bulldogs’ breakout quarterback ranks No. 5 nationally in total offense per game at 321.8 yards.
If he’s out, Mississippi State’s offense loses the player who gave it real juice. If Bothwell is also unavailable, that only deepens the problem.
For LSU, the second half of the season offers a chance to reset after road losses to Ole Miss and Kentucky slowed what had looked like a promising start to Lane Kiffin’s first year. The path back is still there.
Conventional wisdom says the Tigers probably need to run the table and finish 10-2, but there is some breathing room. CBS Sports’ College Football Playoff Forecaster gives LSU an 84.9% chance to reach the CFP if it finishes 9-3.
That route would still require work. LSU would need to go 5-1 overall and 3-1 against the four ranked teams left on its schedule in the AP top 20. Three of those four games are at home, including Saturday’s matchup with Mississippi State.
The Tigers have shown enough to make that kind of finish believable. They beat Clemson and Texas A&M in convincing fashion, and even in defeat there were signs of life.
LSU averaged 5.8 yards per play against Kentucky and picked up 26 first downs. Against Ole Miss, it scored 17 straight points in the second half before fading late.
The bigger issue has been consistency. LSU has given away the ball 10 times, which leaves it tied for 117th nationally in turnovers. The defense has had the same up-and-down feel, holding all four wins under 200 yards allowed while surrendering more than 400 yards in both losses.
Mississippi State, meanwhile, may have to pivot if Taylor can’t go. The Bulldogs’ second quarterback is listed as redshirt freshman Parker "Billy" Puckett" or fifth-year player AJ Swann.
Puckett, an unranked in-state prospect, has handled second-team snaps this season and has completed 8 of 14 passes for 89 yards. Swann brings more experience, having started at Vanderbilt, spent the 2024 season at LSU and transferred to Appalachian State last year.
He is now on his fourth school in five years and third SEC program.
Still, there’s no direct replacement for Taylor, who helped push Mississippi State to a 4-0 start before the Alabama loss. The Bulldogs have already been hit hard by that defeat, and even after a bye week, the injury remains an issue.
Former Georgia, Arizona State and Sacramento State quarterback Jaden Rashada is also on the Mississippi State roster, though he was not listed on this week’s depth chart.
In Other News...
LSU Has Bigger Problems Than A Homecoming Kickoff Debate
LSUs week has turned into one long reminder that the biggest issue in Baton Rouge is not the homecoming kickoff time. After dropping to 22nd in the rankings following the loss to Kentucky, the Tigers are still trying to steady themselves heading into Mississippi State, with linebacker TJ Dottery and coach Lane Kiffin both stressing the need for cleaner execution. The schedule gripe has drawn some student reaction, but it sits well behind the more immediate concern of getting the football team back on track.
The campus mood could use a lift, and the mens basketball team provided one with an 85-81 win over UCF in a wildly thin rotation. LSU played with only six players amid an eligibility controversy, yet Donovan Dent still delivered the game-winning layup and Abdi Bashir Jr. led the way in scoring. It was the kind of gritty result that gives the program something to point to while the football side works through its own far bigger problems. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Bounce-Back Bid Comes With One Big SEC Concern
LSU heads into Week 7 looking to steady itself at home against Mississippi State after the loss to Kentucky, and the Tigers have enough on their plate already without adding another layer of uncertainty. This is the kind of SEC game that can turn quickly if the matchup script changes early, especially with both teams dealing with injuries and LSU still trying to get back to the level of consistency that made it dangerous in the first place.
Mississippi States quarterback situation is the wrinkle LSU will be watching closely, because the Bulldogs offensive outlook shifts depending on who is available. For LSU, the path back starts with cleaner work on both sides of the ball, better execution in key moments and a sharper response than the one it showed a week ago, but the bigger question is whether the Tigers can prepare for the version of Mississippi State that actually shows up. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Could Catch A Huge Break In Mississippi State's Backfield
Mississippi State arrives on LSUs schedule with a couple of key offensive questions hanging over its backfield, and both of them trace back to the same injury-hit trip through Alabama. Quarterback Kamario Taylor and running back Fluff Bothwell were each listed as questionable for the matchup with LSU after leaving the previous game hurt, leaving Jeff Lebby and his staff to sort through contingency plans as kickoff gets closer.
For LSU, the uncertainty matters because the Bulldogs offense could look very different if either player is limited or unavailable. Lebby has already identified possible replacements, but the Tigers will be watching to see whether Mississippi State can get either Taylor or Bothwell back in time, since their status could shape how much stress LSUs defense has to absorb on Saturday. [Read more 🡒]