In another edition of the Magnolia Bowl, LSU pummeled its oldest rival, the University of Mississippi, by a score of 45-20.
Coming into the game, Ole Miss was ranked No. 7 in the country and the third ranked rushing offense in the country, averaging 271 yards per game. However, LSU’s defense stifled the Ole Miss rushing attack, with the Tigers only holding the Rebels to 117 yards.
Ole Miss had the early advantage over LSU 17-3 due to its effective passing game as well as a few big penalties in their favor. However, the Tigers went on a 42-3 run, including scoring 28 unanswered points in the second half.
LSU outgained Ole Miss 500-404 in total offensive yardage. More impressively, LSU outgained Ole Miss in rushing yards 252 to 117. That stat line was unexpected due to the prolific nature of the Ole Miss rushing attack and how well LSU’s front seven played against the Rebels after they had allowed 210 yards against Florida.
For the first time since 2019, LSU received widespread recognition from the national media after its upset win over Ole Miss. As a result of their victory Saturday afternoon, LSU has improved their record to 6-2 and are tied for first in the SEC West alongside Alabama. The Tigers will face the Crimson Tide on Nov. 6th where the winner will control its destiny to win the SEC West and advance to the SEC championship. Both Alabama and LSU will have bye weeks before they face each other.
Here are the top three performances worthy of a game ball from Saturday’s game.
The Crowd
The first game ball goes to the crowd at Tiger Stadium, especially the student section. Although they do not suit up in helmets and pads, the energy of the crowd was a major reason why LSU was able to win this game. The crowd was active throughout the entire game and never lost hope when LSU was down 17-3.
This was the most attended game at Tiger Stadium where the fans stayed all four quarters since 2019. The game ended with most of the student section storming the field and celebrating with LSU’s football team in jubilation in what was LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly’s first signature win.
Jayden Daniels
The second game ball goes to Jayden Daniels. Daniels accounted for all of LSU’s touchdowns except for one. Daniels threw the ball for 248 yards, two touchdowns and completed 75% of his passes. The longer the season goes on, Daniels seems to be finding the right strides as he looks more confident throwing the ball down the field and trusting his playmakers like wide receivers Kayshon Boutte and Brian Thomas Jr.
Daniels is still electrifying in running the ball as he ran the ball for 121 yards and got into the end zone three times. His legs were vital, not only because he was able to evade the No. 1 pass rush in the SEC, but also because it allowed LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock to be more diverse in run game play calling. Kelly gave Daniels the game ball for his efforts.
Mekhi Wingo
The third game ball goes to Mekhi Wingo. Wingo was causing all kinds of problems for the interior of the Ole Miss offensive line. Wingo was disruptive in both the pass rush and the run defense as his pressure on the interior not only allowed Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart to feel uncomfortable in the pocket, but it also disrupted the Rebels’ daunting rushing attack.
Wingo was second on the team in tackles as he collected seven for the game. He also recorded 1.5 sacks and also gained a quarterback hurry. He deflected two passes as well, which is impressive considering that interior defensive linemen do not usually deflect passes, let alone two.