The Daily Reveille sports staff shares their thoughts from LSU’s 40-24 win over Ole Miss

Kennedi Landry | Dual Threat Darrel

Senior Darrel Williams may be listed as a running back, but he showcased his talents as a receiver Saturday night at Ole Miss.

His game may have been overshadowed by junior Derrius Guice’s stunning performance, but the senior dominated in both offensive phases.

Just a week after being held to 189 yards rushing against Auburn, Williams and Guice combined for nearly 400 rushing yards, as the Tiger offense ran all over the Rebels.

As the leading receiver and second leading rusher, Williams is the first player in LSU history to record 100 yards in both rushing (103) and receiving (105) in one game. He is also the first LSU running back to total 100 receiving yards since Eddie Fuller against Ole Miss in 1989.

The highlight of the night came when Williams’ caught a swing pass from quarterback Danny Etling and went for 63 yards to set the Tigers up at the Ole Miss 5-yard line.

“Darrel Williams is one of the best players on our team,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said after the game.

With Guice healthy and Williams performing at this caliber there is no reason they should not make, and win, and decent bowl game.

Glen West |  Confident Culp

The Tigers just might have found their kicker for the next few years thanks to another fantastic outing from redshirt freshman kicker Connor Culp.  

Culp, who missed his first field goal attempt against Chattanooga, has now drilled eight straight attempts including a 4-for-4 night against Ole Miss.

His 47-yard field goal marked a career high and Culp also became the first Tiger to make four field goals in a game since Drew Alleman in 2011 against Mississippi State.

The field goal unit faced scrutiny earlier this season when Orgeron said the team needed to go recruit a kicker. Culp has responded in the most positive way possible and slowing down is not an option.

“I’m proud of Connor Culp. I’m really proud of him,” Orgeron said earlier this week. “He went through some adversity, like we all do. He answered the bell. I felt like the first field goal he had it, because he has been kicking like that in practice. You could see his confidence level rise up. He’s been saying things in the meeting with confidence.”

Culp has connected on 8-of-9 field goals and all 13 extra points this season for LSU.

Jarrett Major | Greatness of Guice

Guice started the season a heisman candidate, if not a contender, but a knee injury and less than stellar start by LSU derailed that campaign. Saturday was what LSU had expected to see this season from the Baton Rouge native.

Guice rushed for over 276 yards, set an SEC record for with his third game of more than 250 rushing yards, and set the third highest amount of rushing yards in a game by an LSU running back.

This stellar performance comes after being held to under 100 yards in his last four games. During those games, Guice had been struggling with a knee injury. On Saturday, Guice showed that he is the healthiest he has been all season.  

The Tigers will need Guice to have another strong performance in two weeks against an Alabama team that has been kryptonite to LSU’s rushing attack in recent seasons.

Hannah Martin | ‘DBU’ steps up once again

Donte Jackson has said time and time again that he is the best defensive back in the country. Saturday night against Ole Miss, Jackson and other LSU defensive backs including true freshman Grant Delpit and junior Kevin Toliver, shined in the secondary.

Toliver, Delpit and junior safety John Battle each picked up an interception during LSU’s 40-24 rout of Ole Miss. Delpit also recorded a career high nine tackles in Oxford.

The interception that sealed the win for the Tigers came late from Toliver in the fourth quarter, when he picked off a pass on LSU’s own 30 yard line.

Battle returned to the the starting role after struggling with injuries the last couple of weeks, and it seems his experience makes a difference for the Tigers’ defense.

While Ole Miss had 194 receiving yards, the Tigers didn’t allow a single touchdown from a receiver. The LSU defense allowed it’s first, fourth quarter touchdown in three games with less than two minutes left in the game.

LSU doesn’t seem to live down the DBU nickname, especially in big games. Hopefully, the Tigers will take that momentum to Tuscaloosa in two weeks when they face an undefeated, top ranked Alabama.

Brandon Adam | Matt Canada’s offense

Tiger fans were promised an explosive and unique offense, and that is what they got on Saturday night against Ole Miss.

LSU racked up 593 yards of offense and 40 points.

Guice and Williams led the way, but it was how offensive coordinator Matt Canada got the duo the ball. Guice was given handoffs on jet sweeps, and Williams caught the ball four times on swing passes for over 100 yards.

Another interesting fact is that the receivers did not catch a single ball in the game. Senior quarterback Danny Etling completed 9-of-13 passes for 200 yards, with most of that going to Williams. The rest came on passes in the flat, a shovel pass for a touchdown to senior H-back J.D. Moore, and a 60-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Foster Moreau off of play action.

LSU saw what was working and kept on doing it.