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Keys to the Game

3. The Ole Miss Read-Option

Ole Miss tallied over 150 yards on the ground in the first three quarters, with the majority of those yards coming via read-option plays. 

In the fourth quarter, the Tigers defense took away the read-option and the Rebels offense struggled to move the ball. 

Barry Brunetti and Bo Wallace can each run the read-option effectively, so I would expect them to continue to utilize the read-option for years to come. 

2. Turnovers

The Tigers and Rebels combined to turn the ball over seven times, with Ole Miss turning the ball over one more time than the Tigers. 

Bo Wallace threw three interceptions, and they also muffed a punt that set the Tigers up in the redzone. 

If the Rebels had taken care of the ball better, then they likely would have left Death Valley with a victory. 

That being said, Ole Miss knew that they needed to be aggressive in order to beat LSU. 

Aggressive playcalling often leads to turnovers, especially when facing off against such a talented defensive unit such as the Tigers. 

1. Special Teams

LSU dominated this game in regards to special teams, as they recovered a muffed punt and returned another punt for a touchdown. 

The Tigers did miss a field goal and also kicked the ball out of bounds during a kick off, but the positive plays overcame the negatives. 

In his first punt return of the game,  Odell Beckham displayed game-changing speed on a 17-yard return.

That return only foreshadowed what would happen later in the game, as Beckham returned a punt for 89-yards in the fourth quarter to tie the game up at 35. 

The better team finds the way to win, which is exactly what the Tigers did in this one. 

The Rebels offense came onto the field with 12 seconds left and over 75 yards to drive for the touchdown. 

Ole Miss decided to play Barry Brunetti for their final drive, but he was unable to pull off the miracle. 

It was surprising to see Brunetti in the game for Bo Wallace, as Brunetti did not pass at all prior to the final drive. 

On a crazy final play that involved quite a few laterals, the play ended when Brunetti accidentally stepped out of bounds with the clock at zero. 

The Tigers win 41-35 in a game that was much closer than most anticipated. 

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After playing a relatively clean game in terms of penalty yardage, Ole Miss was called for a roughing the passer call which put the Tigers in field goal range. 

Jeremy Hill has continued to run hard against the Rebels, as he took a toss on 2nd and 8 from the Ole Miss 18 and gained 16 yards. 

On second and goal, Hill took the ball over the top of the pile for his third touchdown of the game. 

The Rebels will have 15 seconds to get the ball into the endzone, but anything could happen in what has been a crazy and entertaining game. 

Hill's touchdown gave the Tigers a 41-35 lead because the holder failed to handle the snap. 

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The Tigers defensive line has taken over the game, as they sacked Bo Wallace twice. 

The second sack of Wallace was recorded by Lavar Edwards, and it essentially took the Rebels out of field goal range. 

Ole Miss attempted the field goal anyway, but their kicker Bryson Rose missed a 53-yard field goal. 

The Tigers offense will have a chance to win this game on their next drive, but they must make sure that they don't turn the ball over. 

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The LSU Tigers defense has stepped it up on their last two drives, as Ole Miss has gone three and out on each of their past two drives. 

After forcing the Rebels to punt, Jarvis Landry fumbled the ball while trying to pick up extra yards. 

The fumble was the Tigers third turnover in the half, as it looks they are looking for ways to lose this game on the offense. 

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The Ole Miss offense came onto the field with a chance to make it a two-score game, but the LSU defense stepped up and forced the Rebels to punt. 

On that punt,  Odell Beckham made the most exhilarating play of the game when he took the return to the house. 

Beckham displayed tremendous speed and agility, as he patiently waited for holes to open up and was able to maintain his high-end speed for the entire return.

This has been a crazy one in Baton Rouge, so buckle up for the final 9:10 left in regulation. 

Ford's return tied the game up at 35. 

Things aren't getting any better for LSU, as Zach Mettenberger took a hit and was knocked out of the game momentarily. 

In Mettenberger's absence, Stephen Rivers came into the game and failed to convert on third down. 

The failure to convert makes the Tigers five for 15 on third downs. 

While Mettenberger did take a serious blow, he seemed to be more shaken up than anything and should return to the game the next time the Tigers get the ball. 

The Tigers cornerbacks have struggled throughout the entire game when asked to play bump coverage at the line of scrimmage.

In this game, the play of LSU's corners may cost the against the Rebels. 

On Bo Wallace's touchdown pass to Donte Moncrief, the Tigers were called for an offside and the Rebels took advantage of their free play for a touchdown. 

The hour is getting late for LSU to win this game, as the Rebels are in the driver's seat. 

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For a reason that I cannot explain, Les Miles called for a squib kick that went out of bounds. 

After the Tigers took the momentum back with a touchdown, Miles gave it away with a questionable decision. 

The LSU kick off coverage has had no problems containing the Rebels on returns, so the decision was certainly very puzzling. 

We will just have to chalk this one up to Miles being Miles. 

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Zach Mettenberger took a big hit in order to throw a perfect strike to Kadron Boone, who then broke a tackle and fought his way to the Ole Miss two-yardline. 

After the completion, Jeremy Hill trotted into the endzone without much resistance from the Rebels defense.

Les Miles decided to go for two in order to tie the game at 28.

The attempt was successful as Mettenberger found a wide open Spencer Ware in the endzone. 

The game is all tied up at 28, so the real drama is just beginning at Death Valley.

The Tigers have the ball at the beginning of the fourth quarter and converted on third down for just the third time in the game. 

This is a big moment for Zach Mettenberger, as he will need to shake off his past two interceptions in order to lead the Tigers comeback effort. 

LSU is finally finding their rushing attack on their first drive of the quarter, which is taking some of the pressure off Mettenberger. 

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Linebacker Lamin Barrow single-handedly stopped the Rebels from converting a 3rd and 10 with a screen pass, although his effort wasn't enough to stop Ole Miss on the ensuing fourth and three. 

The Ole Miss coaching understands what must be done in order to pull off the upset, and they have been rewarded for their aggressive playcalling. 

After the Rebels converted on fourth down, Jeff Scott took a handoff from Barry Brunetti and was able to get into the endzone. 

The touchdown gave the Rebels a 28-20 lead with 50 seconds left in the third quarter. 

Les Miles is still calling a very aggressive game on offense, which has resulted in Zach Mettenberger's second interception of the quarter. 

After the LSU defense picked off Bo Wallace, Mettenberger overthrew Odell Beckham by a few yards and paid the price. 

The Rebels are playing one of their best games of the season, but the mistakes made by the Tigers is the main reason that the game is still so close. 

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The Tigers picked off another Bo Wallace pass that was tipped into the air, as the athletic LSU defense has now intercepted two deflected passes. 

The interception was made by Craig Loston, but his knee was down and the return was negated. 

The Tigers were also charged with a personal foul penalty, which pushed them back to their own 12-yardline. 

The Rebels continue to prove that they aren't scared to let Bo Wallace sit in the pocket deep in their own territory, as he threw a dart to Donte Moncrief for a 31 yard completion from the Ole Miss five-yardline. 

Moncrief is still finding holes in the Tigers secondary, which is problematic for LSU. 

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After taking care of the ball for the first two and a half quarters, Zach Mettenberger had communication problem with Jarvis Landry which resulted in an interception in the endzone. 

Considering that any type of score would have given LSU the lead, it may prove to be a very costly mistake. 

While the Tigers should still overcome the Rebels, they have allowed an inferior opponent to believe that they can pull off the upset at Death Valley. 

Once the underdog believes that they can win, anything is possible. 

Zach Mettenberger found a wide-open Travis Dickson at midfield for 24-yard gain down the middle of the field.

On the next play, Mettenberger threw a strike 13-yard strike to Odell Beckham for another first down. 

Mettenberger's next throw could have gone for a touchdown, but he overthrew an open Beckham.

The Tigers playcalling has shifted to a more aggressive passing attack, as Les Miles and his staff must believe that Mettenberger will be able to take advantage of the Rebels secondary. 

Also, the Tigers offensive line has struggled to open up holes for the running game at various points. 

In the third quarter, the Tigers defense is finally starting to look like the unit that we expected to see in the first half.

After the Tharold Simon interception, LSU forced the Rebels to punt the ball despite surrendering a five-yard run on first down. 

The Tigers defense is really starting to swarm to the ball, which doesn't bold well for Ole Miss. 

The Tigers offense took possession of the ball with a very short field after the interception, but were unable to score a touchdown inside the red zone again. 

This is the second time that LSU failed to score a touchdown from inside the redzone.

The Ole Miss defense has been up to the task inside the redzone, which has in turn kept them in the game. 

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The LSU defense opened the second half with a  sack, as Sam Montgomery sacked Bo Wallace on Ole Miss's first drive of the half. 

On the Rebels second play, Wallace was picked off by Tharold Simon on what was a risky throw due to the zone coverage that the Tigers were utilizing. 

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The game is at the half, with the Ole Miss Rebels holding a surprising 21-17 lead over the LSU Tigers. 

Neither quarterback has played very well, although Rebels quarterback Bo Wallace has found the endzone twice on the ground. 

Ole Miss has also been more efficient on third down, as they have converted on four of their nine attempts. 

 The Tigers have struggled mightily on third down, as they have converted on just two of their nine attempts. 

The LSU defense has surrendered almost 300 yards at the half, so this could be considered as the unit's worst performances of the season thus far. 

For the Tigers to win this game, they will need to improve their third down efficiency.

If Zach Mettenberger and the Tigers offense can keep the Rebels offense off the field, then the LSU defense should be able to turn in a better performance in the second half. 

In the first half, Mettenberger completed seven of his 15 pass attempts for 107 yards. 

The Tigers have also controlled the ball more than the Rebels, as they possessed the ball for 16:20 minutes versus 13:40 Ole Miss. 

The Ole Miss Rebels have come to Death Valley with one goal, to beat the LSU Tigers. 

That goal has been evident in the play calling late in the second quarter, as the Rebels went for a fourth-and-three from midfield and converted. 

Two plays after the huge fourth down conversion, Bo Wallace spun into the endzone for his second rushing touchdown of the game. 

The Tigers defense has surrendered almost 300 yards in the first half, so a fair amount of halftime adjustments are in order.