Welcome everyone to the latest preview of LSU’s next matchup! This week, we look at the Tigers matchup against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Last Week: LSU’s offense looked fantastic last Saturday when they beat Chattanooga under the bright lights of Tiger Stadium 45-10. Mississippi State also made it look easy last Saturday in Ruston when they took down the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 57-21. No one will remember the final score, instead they will remember Louisiana Tech’s snafu that led to 3rd and goal from their own seven.
Last Meeting: LSU dominated throughout the first three quarters of last year’s meeting, but the Bulldogs rallied back from a 23-6 deficit in the fourth quarter in Tiger Stadium. However, they came up short on their final drive to give the Tigers a 23-20 win. LSU leads the all-time series -73-34-3 and have won the last three matchups.
Storylines to Watch:
Battle of the QBs: If you love quarterback battles, then this should be one of the best matchups of the week in college football. You’ve got Nick Fitzgerald, a junior that has been considered one of the best in the conference. He has had a decent start through two games considering the opponents they’ve faced off against to start the season.
Meanwhile Danny Etling showed up in a big way last Saturday with a strong start against Chattanooga. Just on those first four completions, it looked like he hadn’t missed a beat after having back surgery in the offseason. In the battle of the quarterbacks, I’d have to give the edge to the veteran Etling based off of what we’ve seen from him.
Key Returns: After it was announced that Arden Key had shoulder surgery during his time away from the team, it was weird to think of this defense without one of their star players on the field. However, the junior will make his return this Saturday in the conference opener.
Don’t expect Key to be out there for every defensive snap, but when he is out there he will be an impact player for the Tigers as he begins to shake off the rust.
Keep Putting Foot on Gas: Look back at the Tigers last meeting. Better yet, look at every meeting since Dan Mullen has been head coach in Starkville. They’ve always been nailbiters to watch and LSU will need to keep the foot on the gas if they can get out to an early lead.
If they don’t keep pushing to put the game completely out of reach, you’re giving a the Bulldogs an opportunity to get right back in this game with the kind of talent that they have on offense.
LSU Will Win If:
As mentioned previously, LSU can improve to 3-0 if they can continue to put the game out of reach as the game progresses. The Tigers have everything in terms of offensive tools to come away with a dominant victory, but if they slow down after the third quarter, the game could go from in hand to out of hand in a hurry.
Mississippi State Will Win If:
The Bulldogs will win if Nick Fitzgerald can do what he did last weekend after being down 9-0. The junior put up five touchdowns on the road to help get his team past Louisiana Tech.
If he can have that kind of performance on Saturday, it could be hard for LSU to fight back with their offense.
-Clint Domingue