No. 22 LSU put together the kind of clean, complete afternoon that had been missing a week earlier, and it showed in every phase of Saturday’s 31-0 win over No. 16 Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium.
The Tigers’ offense, defense and special teams all settled in against a Bulldogs team that was ranked but missing firepower. LSU got a touchdown on its opening drive for only the second time this season, the defense delivered a second-quarter goal-line stand, and special teams managed to stay out of trouble.
At quarterback, there was no real head-to-head showdown to watch because Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor was ruled out before kickoff with turf toe, and running back Fluff Bothwell also did not play. That left State backup Billy Puckett trying to keep pace with Sam Leavitt, and the gap was obvious.
Leavitt was sharp from the start, threw three first-half touchdown passes, and finished with 289 yards and four touchdowns. He also avoided interceptions for the first time in his LSU career.
If there was one area that kept the game from feeling fully buttoned up, it was the ground attack. LSU’s running game again struggled to make much of an imprint, and Mississippi State finished with a 170-90 edge on the ground, sacks included. The Tigers clearly leaned into a controlled passing approach, but they could not control terms with the run for a second straight week.
That will matter next Saturday, when LSU heads to Auburn, where defense is the calling card.
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 🡒]
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 🡒]
LSU Just Got Another SEC Reminder In The Ranking Race
The weekend offered a little of everything in the SEC and beyond, and none of it did LSU any favors in the larger ranking conversation. Texas had control before Florida surged late for a 27-24 win, with Arch Mannings uneven play once again drawing attention and defensive end Colin Simmons leaving with an apparent leg injury. Around the same time, Ohio State and Indiana slogged through a game defined by shaky quarterback play, while Indiana came within inches of a go-ahead touchdown late.
For LSU, it all feeds into the same familiar reality: every result around the country keeps reshaping how the playoff and poll picture looks, even as the Tigers continue building their own case. Mississippi States 31-0 loss to LSU already underscored how much a missing starting quarterback can matter, and the ripple effects from Texas, Florida, Ohio State and Indiana only add to the debate over where the Tigers fit when the rankings get recalculated. [Read more 🡒]