LSU football just pitched a straight-up shutout against Mississippi State in Week 7, snagging a huge 31-0 win in Baton Rouge. Honestly, after that gut-wrenching 35-34 overtime loss at Kentucky last week, seeing the defense go a perfect 5-for-5 on fourth-down stops was absolutely massive. Coach Lane Kiffin didn’t hold back, saying he’s “really proud” of how the defense stepped up, especially after challenging them to “seize those moments” and “knock people out of the game” this time around.
Kiffin’s Fierce Challenge Ignited the Defense
You know Kiffin was fuming after last week, right? He basically told his squad they had four different chances to put Kentucky away, offensively and defensively, and they blew it. So, heading into the Mississippi State game, the message was clear: no more messing around. Kiffin even told his team the night before to “play like we’re behind,” and he hammered that point home at halftime, even though LSU was already up 21-0! He straight-up said, “‘hey, we’re down ten points, okay? And so let’s go out there like we have to stop them.’” That mindset paid off big time. Mississippi State only got past LSU’s 30-yard line once all game! And when they did, late in the second quarter, LSU’s defense stood tall, stopping them cold on fourth down at the 2-yard line during the Bulldogs’ only trip to the red zone. That’s just flat-out refusing to break.
Shaking Off Injuries and Dominating Anyway
What makes this defensive performance even crazier is how beat up this unit is. Seriously, they’re battling some tough breaks. Safety Dashawn Spears is out for the season after tearing his ACL back in Week 3, linebacker Whit Weeks missed another game, and then edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen had to leave the Mississippi State game in the first quarter and didn’t return. That’s some serious talent sidelined! Kiffin gave a ton of credit to defensive coordinator Blake Baker for pulling off some incredible adjustments around these “massive injuries to significant All-American type players.” He even mentioned Ty Benefield playing a position he’s not used to “the last couple weeks because of these massive injuries.” Plus, with “very little linebacker depth,” they had to get “unique things with the front and different things, and especially once Princewill went out.” The fact they delivered a shutout through all that? That’s next-level coaching and pure grit from the players.
This defense just showed everyone what they’re capable of, even when they’re down key guys. When you play with that kind of fire, stopping every single fourth-down attempt and pitching a shutout, that’s how you build momentum. Here’s to seeing them keep that intensity rolling and proving they can overcome anything thrown their way.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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