LSU football’s toughest opponents in 2020: Mississippi State Bulldogs

The LSU Tigers defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs 36-13 en route to a national championship victory last year.

The LSU Tigers defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs 36-13 en route to a national championship victory last year.

But going into 2020, the Tigers’ matchup against the Bulldogs could be a trap game. This game for LSU in particular usually has SEC implications, and this year’s game will be no different.

The Tigers lost 14 players to the NFL, and are under a new defensive coordinator in Bo Pelini. LSU will be under new leadership at quarterback with Myles Brennan.

The Bulldogs feature a new head coach in Mike Leach and a new quarterback in K.J. Costello, who is projected to be one of the best signal-callers in the SEC, if not the entire country.

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Mississippi State also returns running back Kylin Hill, who rushed for 1,350 yards and 10 touchdowns on 242 rushing attempts in 2019.

Leach’s approach to the offensive scheme could spell trouble for the Tigers in this match-up. Costello was an exceptional quarterback at Stanford, and will be facing a tough Tigers defense in Baton Rouge.

Even though it is a home game for LSU, the Bulldogs could be a quality team by the time this game is played in mid October.

The Tigers will have Derek Stingley Jr. and JaCoby Stevens back this year to man the secondary. Containing the Bulldogs’ receivers on deep passes from Costello in the pocket could be the key to a win.

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Many people have this game for LSU as a potential loss, and for good reason. Under Leach, Mississippi State is expected to upset a few teams this season, adn LSU could be one of them.

It will be interesting to see if Costello and the Bulldogs offense is able to adjust facing an elite Tigers defense in Baton Rouge in just a few months.

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