Mississippi State came into Tiger Stadium on Saturday without starting quarterback Kamario Taylor and running back Fluff Bothwell.
And it showed.
No. 22 LSU jumped on the short-handed Bulldogs from the start and never let up, cruising to a 31-0 victory over No. 16 Mississippi State in Baton Rouge.
The win improved LSU to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play, while Mississippi State fell to 4-2 and 2-2.
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt was sharp from the opening drive, completing 31 of 38 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.
This was Leavitt’s first game as a Tiger without an interception
The Tigers took a 7-0 lead on their first possession when Leavitt found wide receiver Eugene Wilson III for a 10-yard touchdown.
Later in the first quarter, Leavitt connected with Jackson Harris for a 27-yard score to stretch LSU’s lead to 14-0.
The same combination struck again midway through the second quarter, this time from 17 yards out, as LSU carried a 21-0 lead into halftime. Harris led LSU through the air with his six catches for 85 yards and the two aforementioned touchdowns.
Later Harris would leave the game with an apparent leg injury.
“There’s no team in America with more significant players on the sideline than us,” LSU coach Lane Kiffin said of the injuries.
Harris finished as LSU’s leading receiver with six catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns.
Mississippi State, meanwhile, struggled to generate any consistent offense without Taylor and Bothwell.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Parker “Billy” Puckett got the start in Taylor’s place and completed 16 of 26 passes for 121 yards with an interception.
LSU’s defense consistently kept the Bulldogs out of scoring range and preserved the shutout throughout the second half.
LSU limited the Bulldogs to 0-for-5 on fourth-down attempts.
Scott Starzyk added a 26-yard field goal midway through the third quarter before Leavitt connected with Malik Elzy for a 6-yard touchdown late in the period to make it 31-0.
That proved to be more than enough for LSU’s defense.
Mississippi State finished with 291 total yards, while LSU totaled 379.
The Bulldogs were particularly limited through the air, finishing with just 121 passing yards.
Running back Dilin Jones paced LSU on the ground with 84 yards on 18 carries. He also caught eight passes for 58 yards, continuing to give the Tigers production in both phases of the offense.
Linebacker TJ Dottery led the defense with eight total tackles.
Safety Ty Benefield also intercepted Puckett as LSU kept Mississippi State off the scoreboard for the entire afternoon.
The Tigers were not completely mistake-free. LSU lost one fumble and finished with only 90 rushing yards, but it hardly mattered with Leavitt operating efficiently and the defense controlling the game.
For LSU, the performance was a needed response after last week’s 35-34 overtime loss at Kentucky.
The Tigers scored on four Leavitt touchdown passes, did not allow a point and sent Mississippi State home with its second loss of the season.
LSU now turns its attention back to the road, traveling to Auburn next Saturday.
