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.
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Mississippi State Heads Into LSU With One Huge Kamario Taylor Question
Kamario Taylors availability has become the biggest pregame issue hanging over Mississippi State as it heads to LSU, with the quarterback listed as questionable because of a turf toe injury. Taylor has been working to get himself ready and has been described as day-to-day, but the uncertainty around him has lingered right up to the eve of kickoff.
The injury has been a concern since the end of the Missouri game, and there is still real doubt about whether he can suit up against LSU. Less than 24 hours before the game, Mississippi State is waiting on a decision that could shape how the Bulldogs handle one of their toughest matchups of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi States Season May Hinge On One Josh Hubbard Question
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That is where the new pieces come in, even if the fit is still taking shape. Mississippi State added help across the roster, including RJ Johnson and Thomas Bassong, with the goal of finding a more balanced identity and a rotation the staff can trust. For the Bulldogs, the bigger question is not just how productive Hubbard can be again, but how quickly the rest of the roster turns that talent into something steadier and more sustainable. [Read more 🡒]