LSU is back in a spot where the margin is thin and the next answer matters more than the last mistake. After dropping an early second game of the season last weekend, the Tigers return home needing to steady themselves quickly, and the challenge in front of them is a ranked Mississippi State team coming in at No. 16 on Saturday morning.
The matchup could look very different depending on the availability of Bulldogs standouts Kamario Taylor and Fluff Bothwell. If both are on the field, LSU is staring at another difficult SEC test.
For the Tigers, the first step is simple enough: get Sam Leavitt rolling before the game has a chance to tighten around him. Leavitt is clearly talented, but he’s also been inconsistent.
LSU watched him start slipping back into the same issues that showed up earlier in the season. During that strong two-week run, he looked composed, stayed in the pocket, worked through progressions and delivered the ball with patience.
Against Kentucky, once the mistakes started piling up, his play got sloppy.
That’s why the early offensive plan should be about easy completions and clean reads. LSU needs Leavitt to feel settled and secure if it wants to hold up in conference play.
On the other side of the ball, the mission doesn’t change much no matter who lines up at quarterback for Mississippi State: make life uncomfortable up front. If Taylor plays, pressure is the antidote.
He has his best moments when he can stand in and let routes develop downfield, but pressure tends to speed him up and drag his efficiency down. When he’s rushed, the mistakes usually follow.
If Taylor can’t go, redshirt freshman Parker Puckett would likely get the nod. He has looked fine in limited action, but that kind of scenario would be exactly what Blake Baker and LSU’s defense would want to see.
The Tigers also need to keep working their backfield in a way that gives the run game more variety. Dilin Jones has already proven he can carry a lot of the load. He’s been a strong offseason addition, often one of the few reliable pieces on the ground because of his power and his ability to stay upright through contact.
But Jones works best when there’s another style of runner beside him. That’s where Harlem Berry comes in.
A quicker, shiftier option can change the pace, make the defense think a little more and help keep Jones fresh. Berry opened the season in the doghouse after struggling with the offense’s new responsibilities, but he’s clearly moved into the RB2 role now.
He had just three carries in the last game, and while his numbers weren’t efficient, Jones didn’t have much success either.
The split feels like something LSU could use more of.
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 🡒]