Mississippi State comes into Saturday’s trip to Baton Rouge with something LSU can’t ignore: the Bulldogs are sitting above the Tigers in both the AP poll and the SEC standings.
That would have sounded far-fetched not long ago, but here we are. No.
16 Mississippi State is 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the league, while No. 22 LSU is 4-2 and 1-2 as the teams get ready to meet in Baton Rouge, La.
Mississippi State is still carrying the look of a program trying to prove it belongs higher up the ladder. Its most recent outing, a 56-23 home loss to Alabama two weeks ago, was a reminder that the Bulldogs are not finished products.
"We've got a ton of work to do," Bulldogs coach Jeff Lebby said. "We've got a huge challenge on Saturday morning, but the perception of what is going on here and the energy around our program and where we're going, not just where we're at, is really good. And so we've got to build on that."
Even with that setback, Mississippi State has already put together a résumé with some weight to it: road wins at Minnesota and South Carolina, plus a victory over then-No. 19 Missouri three weeks ago. Beating LSU would only add to that momentum.
The biggest question hanging over the Bulldogs is at quarterback. Star Kamario Taylor injured his lower leg in the win over Missouri and then aggravated it against Alabama, leaving his status for Saturday in doubt.
"Wednesday's going to do all the talking," Lebby said in reference to the first game-week injury report when he was asked about Taylor's status. Parker "Billy" Puckett came in late against Alabama, and he and AJ Swann are listed as co-No. 2s on the depth chart.
Whoever gets the start will have a clear target. Anthony Evans III is leading the SEC in catches per game at 8.0 and receiving yards per game at 114.8, and he is tied for second in the league with five touchdown receptions.
LSU’s path into this matchup is a little shakier. Last week’s 35-34 overtime loss at Kentucky gave the Tigers another league defeat and left them with very little room left if they want to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Only No. 1 Georgia remains unbeaten in SEC play, Mississippi State is one of eight conference teams with just one loss, and LSU is among the seven teams that already have more than one.
"This year in the SEC," LSU coach Lane Kiffin said, "I really feel like you can win every game on the schedule, and we can lose every game on the schedule. I feel that way about all the teams we play.
"All we can do is get better, get back to work and get to another one this week. We can't worry about the other stuff, the playoffs, the rankings or any of those things. We have to worry about what really matters."
On the field, the Tigers are leaning on Sam Leavitt, who ranks fourth in the SEC with 249.3 passing yards per game. Taylor is first in the conference at 290.0 per game and also leads the SEC with 17 touchdown passes, while Leavitt’s eight interceptions are the most among league passers.
For Kiffin, the problem with LSU goes beyond one rough result. He said the Tigers need a steadier level of play across the board.
"We have to play more consistently," Kiffin said. "We're too high and low, too up and down, in all phases of the game."
In Other News...
LSUs Biggest Problem Just Got Harder To Ignore After Kentucky
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Sam Leavitts night summed up the frustration. He moved the ball well enough through the air to keep LSU in it, but the late turnovers ended up carrying too much weight in a game the Tigers could not afford to let slip away. With the schedule about to get less forgiving, the question is no longer whether LSU has playmakers, but whether it can clean up the mistakes before they start defining the season. [Read more 🡒]
LSU's Bigger Worry After This Win Is Hard To Ignore
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Bashir poured in 26 points and Dent added 21 points with 11 assists, a reminder that LSU has firepower at the top of the rotation even before the real games begin. Wade is still waiting on additional help to get cleared in time for the regular season opener on November 3, and that uncertainty hangs over an early stretch that should tell a lot about how quickly this team can settle in. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Mississippi State Outlook Suddenly Hinges On One Huge Unknown
The first injury report for LSU and Mississippi State has already added an edge to a matchup that was shaping up as a revealing one for both teams. LSU will head into the game without several players, including Trey'Dez Green and Whit Weeks, while Tylen Singleton is listed as questionable, leaving the Tigers to sort through some notable availability questions before kickoff.
Mississippi States biggest concern is at quarterback, where Kamario Taylor is questionable because of a foot injury. His status looms over the Bulldogs preparation and could shape how they approach the game, with Fridays update expected to carry major weight for a team trying to settle its offensive outlook before facing LSU. [Read more 🡒]