On Thursday, LSU coach Ed Orgeron spoke confidently about the health of junior outside linebacker Arden Key and junior running back Derrius Guice.
In the first half against Ole Miss, both players showed why Orgeron was confident.
It wasn’t Guice who opened the Tigers’ scoring, but redshirt freshman kicker Connor Culp.
Following a 63-yard swing pass from senior quarterback Danny Etling to senior running back Darrel Williams, the Tigers settled for a 35-yard field goal by Culp.
Ole Miss responded with a field goal of its own to tie the game at 3.
That’s when Guice went to work on the ensuing drive.
The, now healthy, workhorse carried the ball three times for 75 yards, capping it off with a 7-yard touchdown.
Key and the defense helped set up the Tigers’ next score in the second quarter after an interception by freshman safety Grant Delpit. The interception cost Ole Miss more than just the ball, but also star quarterback Shea Patterson, who left with a knee injury.
Guice and Williams carried the ball down the field, but had to settle for a field goal after dropped passes by sophomore receiver Stephen Sullivan and senior receiver Russell Gage.
Culp made his second field goal the game, this time from 38 yards out to give LSU a 13-3 lead.
The Rebels cut it down to seven after backup quarterback Jordan Ta’amu and backup running back Eric Swinney guided the offense inside LSU’s 10 yardline.
The Tiger defense stiffened and forced Ole Miss to settle for a 26-yard field goal as the half expired.
Guice finished the half with 126 yards, with a long of 59, and a touchdown on 11 carries. Key made his presence fully known defense with four tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. He also forced Patterson into the arms of senior defensive end Christian LaCouture for a sack.