The Tigers narrowly escaped Starkville with a 28-25 win over Mississippi State Saturday afternoon and although it wasn’t always pretty, the defense made enough stops early in the game and the offense was able to take advantage of miscues from the Bulldogs over the course of 60 minutes. Here are five reasons why the Tigers came out on top and are 1-0 in SEC play.
1. The LSU defense kept the Bulldogs (mostly) in check
The LSU coaching staff and Tiger fans don’t need to be reminded again how the defense fared last time it played Mike Leach’s offense. After giving up over 600 passing yards in last season’s opener, LSU defensive coordinator Daronte Jones decided to stick with a three man rush and played a lot of dime coverage, using six defensive backs and put an emphasis on stopping explosive plays from Mississippi State. The game plan proved effective, especially in the first half when LSU went to the locker room with a 7-3 lead. Two late touchdowns from Mississippi State might have spoiled an otherwise solid effort from the Tiger defense, but the coaching staff had a plan, stuck with it and it worked.
Big first quarter for the #LSU defense.
This 3-2-6 defense basically telling MSU it can take its small chunks and it won't allow big plays. Cordale Flott then gets a big interception at the LSU 11 (in zone!). Two turnovers on three drives.
— Brody Miller (@BrodyAMiller) September 25, 2021
Next, Boutte keeps up his touchdown production