The one thing that LSU fans know they will see from Mississippi S on Saturday is the team’s air-raid offense.
Quarterback Will Rogers has been tearing it up for the Bulldogs, as Mississippi State is off to a 2-0 start with wins over Memphis and Arizona. The junior quarterback has thrown for 763 yards and nine touchdowns in just two games. For LSU to win, much of the task lies on the defense to limit Rogers to minimal time in the pocket.
Just as important as it is to stop Rogers, it’s just as important to limit the players he throws to, and there are a lot. In Mississippi State’s last two games, at least eight different receivers caught multiple passes.
Rara Thomas led the Bulldogs in receiving yards with 144 yards on 10 receptions, and Caleb Ducking and Rufus Harvey are not far behind. Ducking has 129 receiving yards on 10 receptions, and Harvey has 115 receiving yards on 11 receptions. Everyone in the LSU secondary is going to have to step up, because anyone in Mississippi State’s receiving core is capable of popping off.
While the run game for Mississippi State doesn’t usually get the spotlight, it hasn’t disappointed. Dillon Johnson leads the team with 127 rushing yards on 25 carries, and Jo’quavious Marks is right behind him with 89 rushing yards on 20 carries with three touchdowns.
On defense, linebacker Jett Johnson has led the charge thus far. He leads the team with 20 total tackles, 12 of which were solo tackles. Linebacker Nathaniel Johnson and safety Jalen Green are also forces on the Bulldog defense; both players have eight tackles on the year with an interception.
Being that the linebackers are the core of the defense for Mississippi State, Jayden Daniels is going to have to have more faith in throwing the ball, because the run game will be limited.
Now that LSU is seeing its first SEC matchup, the offensive line is going to have to step up. In a game where the run game will already be limited, the offensive line will have to give Jayden Daniels enough time to comfortably throw the ball. Mississippi State always sends defensive linemen to the NFL Draft, so this will be a test for the LSU offensive line to hone their skills and improve.
Mississippi State is a team with a lot of momentum that can’t be taken lightly. But this matchup comes with good timing for LSU. Following the loss to Florida State, the Tigers were able to get their confidence back with a comfortable win over Southern, a game where many players were able to show out.
This confidence could roll into the team’s first in-conference matchup, and thus start the formation of a good resume throughout the season.
