Saturday at noon ET, LSU hosts No. 16 Mississippi State at Tiger Stadium, and this one just got wild: Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor is officially out with a foot injury for the game. That’s a massive hit for a Mississippi State team sitting at 4-1, especially going up against LSU’s 4-2 record in their own house. The Tigers, ranked No. 22 themselves, are coming off a tough 35-34 overtime loss to Kentucky, their second SEC loss in three games, so they’re absolutely hungry for a rebound.
LSU’s Home Field Advantage Is Real
Forget that Kentucky loss for a second, because when LSU plays at home, it’s a whole different vibe. These Tigers are 4-0 at Tiger Stadium, and get this: they’ve scored at least 35 points in every single one of those home games. That offense can absolutely cook when they’re in front of their crowd. Quarterback Sam Leavitt, in that Kentucky loss, put up some solid numbers, completing 25 of 34 passes for 275 yards with one touchdown, though he did toss one interception. And Dilin Jones? He was the man, leading the Tigers in both rushing and receiving. You know they’re gonna lean on that home momentum and those playmakers to exploit the Bulldogs’ QB situation.
Bulldogs Face a Stiff Test Without Taylor
The No. 16 Bulldogs definitely have a strong record at 4-1, and they even had an extra week to prepare for this matchup after their 56-23 loss to Alabama. But losing Kamario Taylor, even after his impressive 258 yards and three touchdowns against Alabama, is a gut punch. Remember how good Anthony Evans III was in that Alabama game too, hauling in 12 passes for 166 yards and two scores? Without Taylor slinging the ball, those connections get tougher. Before that Alabama setback, Mississippi State had some big wins, beating Missouri 31-24 and winning at South Carolina 41-34. Taylor was on fire against Missouri, throwing for 360 yards and three touchdowns. Can they replicate that kind of production with their starting signal-caller on the sidelines? That’s the million-dollar question for Saturday.
SportsLine is looking at LSU to win this one 38-25, which honestly, feels pretty conservative given LSU’s home scoring. Polymarket prices reflect the Taylor news, with LSU at a hefty $0.88 per share to win, while Mississippi State sits at just $0.13. If you think the Bulldogs can still make it a game, Polymarket has “Mississippi State to win or lose by 17 points or fewer” at $0.50 per share. And for the high-scoring folks, “more than 55.5 points scored” is priced at $0.51. This game is going to tell us a lot about both teams, especially how Mississippi State adapts on the fly without their star. You know Tiger Stadium is gonna be electric!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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