No. 22 LSU absolutely shut down No. 16 Mississippi State on Saturday, delivering a dominant 31-0 victory in Baton Rouge. The real story? Sam Leavitt threw for a massive 289 yards and four touchdowns, all while playing his first turnover-free game of the entire season. That’s right, a clean sheet, and the Tigers just rolled a ranked opponent.
Leavitt Unleashed: A New Level of Play?
Man, did Sam Leavitt look sharp. He completed 31 of 38 passes, connecting with nine different receivers, which is just surgical. Running back Dilin Jones said it best, “I feel like game by game he just keeps getting better and better. I expect him to play even better next game.” Leavitt kept his scrambles to a minimum, rushing only four times for 11 yards. This was all about dissecting the defense from the pocket.
LSU coach Lane Kiffin’s comments after the game really highlighted the shift: “We talked a lot this week about trusting the receivers and allowing them to go make plays. We are starting to show that we can be a passing team and really be attacking that way.” That trust paid off big time. Jackson Harris hauled in six catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game with an apparent lower left leg injury in the third quarter. Eugene Wilson III added a 10-yard score, and Malik Elzy snagged a 6-yard touchdown grab. Even with injuries being a storyline, Kiffin wasn’t having any pity, pointing out, “But there ain’t a team in America that has more significant players standing on the sideline than us.”
Bulldogs Stymied and LSU’s Gritty Response
Mississippi State, coming off a bye week, just could not get anything going. Their second-year quarterback Parker Puckett made his first start and struggled, throwing for 121 yards, one interception (to Ty Benefield), and getting sacked three times. Coach Jeff Lebby backed his guy, saying Puckett “put himself in position to be the guy today. That was the decision I made because he gave us the best chance to do what we needed to do.” But chances are one thing, executing is another. The Bulldogs drove inside the LSU 40 five times, and every single one of those drives ended on a failed fourth down play, including one from the Tigers’ 6-yard line. Lebby admitted, “Offensively, we had chances. We didn’t do what we needed to do to be able to keep us in it.” They lost their second straight game by more than 30 points. LSU absolutely dominated total yards, 379 to 291, converting eight of 13 third downs and their only fourth down attempt.
This win was huge for LSU. They needed a bounce back after that crushing 35-34 overtime loss at Kentucky the previous week, which dropped them 12 spots in the AP Top 25. Kiffin was pumped about the team’s response, revealing he told them on Friday night they “have to win” this week. It was a gutsy move, and it clearly worked. Plus, it was LSU’s first shutout of an SEC opponent since way back in 2007, when they beat Mississippi State 45-0 on their way to a national championship. Talk about history repeating itself!
This methodical and convincing win shows what LSU is capable of when Leavitt plays clean and the passing game opens up. If they can keep this momentum going, trusting those receivers and letting Leavitt sling it, opponents in the SEC better watch out. You gotta wonder if this is the game that truly unlocks LSU’s potential for the rest of the season. What a statement!
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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