THE STORY
LSU caught a break.
Kamario Taylor is probably the most important player to his team in the SEC. He didn’t dress. Walk on quarterback Billy Puckett was predictably overmatched, and the Tigers cruised to a, 31-0, win over Mississippi State. It was LSU’s first shutout win in the series since 2007 when the top-ranked Tigers banked the Bulldogs in the season opener in Starkville.
LSU’s offense did the job. The Tigers scored on three of four legitimate first half drives. That netted LSU a 21-0 lead at the break thanks to a fourth and goal stop at the two yard line by the Tiger secondary with 1:38 left in the second.
Sam Leavitt was cool and comfortable. He completed 82 percent of his throws, 31-for-38 for 289 yards and four scores. LSU’s first punt came with just under 11 minutes to play in the game. Leavitt has made a concerted effort to stay in the pocket and look downfield. It showed Saturday against a secondary with some solid pieces.
Credit Jeff Lebby. He didn’t show up to kick some field goals for respectability. State’s last five drives ended in fourth down failures. All of them came inside the LSU 35.
The game’s injuries were concerning. Princewill Umanmielen left the game in the first quarter and didn’t return. Jackson Harris was in a walking boot in the third quarter. Those are two massively impactful missing pieces and add to LSU’s growing injury list.
The Tigers move to 5-2 with a trip to Auburn up next before the bye week.
THE STATS
Total Yards: 379-291 LSU
First Downs: 28-18 LSU
Sam Leavitt: 31-for-38 (82%), 289 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
Mississippi State was 0-for-5 on fourth down.
Dilin Jones: 18 carries, 84 yards
TJ Dottery: 12 tackles
Billy Puckett: 16-for-26 (62%), 121 yards, INT
THE PLAYS
After a State three-and-out, LSU marched right down the field for a touchdown. Sam Leavitt to Eugene Wilson III from 10 yards out. 7-0 Tigers.
LSU picked Billy Puckett off of the ensuing drive. He was hit, and Ty Benefield hauled in the wounded duck that floated down the middle of the field.
Jackson Harris made an amazing run after the catch on a 27-yard touchdown. He took it 24 yards by himself making a couple of Bulldogs miss and muscling into the endzone in a scrum.
Stacy Gage fumbled a third down catch. It was discovered on replay. State took over on its own 38 early in the second quarter.
Jeff Lebby elected to go for it on fourth and one. Puckett was swarmed in the backfield on a read option keeper, and the Tigers took over at the LSU 37 with 9:13 before halftime.
Leavitt to Jackson Harris from 17 yards out. Pitch and catch. 21-0 Tigers.
State elected to go on fourth and goal from the six with 1:45 left in the half. Puckett hit Zion Ragins at the three, but he was turned away by PJ Woodland and TJ Dottery at the two to get the ball back to LSU.
LSU drained the first 8:10 of the second half but settled for a 26-yard Scott Stazyk field goal. 24-0 Tigers.
Leavitt hit Malik Elzy for a six yard score to make it 31-0 in the third.
LSU got a fourth consecutive fourth down stop a minute into the fourth quarter when Ja’Keem Jackson broke up a Puckett pass ticketed for the endzone. That helped preserve the shutout.
The fifth straight turnover on downs came with 3:23 left. Puckett fired incomplete.
