LSU Tigers vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs Complete Game Preview
The first of many SEC tests for LSU and Mississippi State will kick off Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.
The Tigers are 3-0 fresh off two shutouts against Sam Houston State and UL-Monroe. The Bulldogs boast the same record but without a win against a team from a power-five conference.
LSU head coach Les Miles is 9-0 against Mississippi State. Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen has only been within 10 points of the Tigers once, which was his first season in 2009.
Here is a preview of this week's matchup.
What You Need to Know
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Place: Tiger Stadium; Baton Rouge, Louisiana
TV: ESPN
Spread: LSU by 10, via Oddsshark.com
LSU Keys to Victory
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Dominate Line of Scrimmage
LSU's offense line will have its hands full with Mississippi State. Defensive linemen Chris Jones and Preston Smith are superb at getting into the backfield and making plays.
LSU center Elliott Porter earned his first start in 2014 last week after serving a two-game suspension to start the season. Porter must have everyone aligned correctly in order to open up holes.
LSU's defensive line will have an even bigger challenge. The group was gashed by Wisconsin in the season opener but has since improved. Quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Josh Robinson are powerful runners between the tackles.
Mullen will feel confident in his rushing attack heading into this game. The Bulldogs are not as good on the ground as the Badgers but are certainly capable of gashing SEC opposition.
LSU's offensive and defensive lines must perform well for the Tigers to win the game.
Spread the Football Around
LSU wide receiver Travin Dural has led the Tigers in receiving by at least 40 yards in every game this season. Mississippi State will look to pressure quarterback Anthony Jennings into finding other targets.
LSU has seen some good things from John Diarse, Trey Quinn and Malachi Dupre. Jennings must not force the football to Dural in heavy coverage and look for his other talented receivers.
Mississippi State Keys to Victory
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Win Turnover Battle
Prescott will face every defensive look imaginable from LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis.
Chavis' blitzing schemes can force quarterbacks into making mistakes. LSU has raked in six turnovers and only committed three. Prescott and the Bulldogs offense must be careful with the ball if they want to win.
Be Efficient on Special Teams
Freshman kicker Westin Graves is 0-for-1 on field goals this season. Making a first career field goal in the hostile environment of Tiger Stadium is not ideal, especially if asked to do so late in a close game.
Mississippi State also is last in punt-return yards allowed in the SEC. LSU's Tre'Davious White is becoming better at as a returner, so the Bulldogs must be prepared for him.
Play Big in the Middle
LSU is going to try to run the football up the gut. The Tigers rank first in the SEC in rushing attempts, so the Bulldogs will need to stalemate the massive offensive line they will face.
All of the Tigers running backs are better between the tackles. If the Bulldogs can force the Tigers to bounce their runs to the outside, it would lead to minimal gains.
LSU Players to Watch
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Leonard Fournette
LSU running back Leonard Fournette is expected to shine when the lights are the brightest. Against Wisconsin, Fournette rushed for 18 yards on eight carries.
The true freshman has played better since then, having rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns in his last two games. He will have his hands full against Mississippi State's talented run defense.
Miles will give Fournette at least 10 carries, but expect Kenny Hilliard and Darrel Williams to get some touches as well.
Jalen Mills
LSU safety Jalen Mills has played spectacularly this season. Chavis has used Mills in multiple roles, and the junior has continued to make plays. He is superb in coverage and even better coming off the edge on blitzes.
Chavis will feel comfortable putting his cornerbacks in man coverage on the outside, which allows Mills freedom to roam around the field. Expect him to line up all over the place in an effort to confuse Prescott.
Danielle Hunter
LSU defensive end Danielle Hunter has yet to register a sack, but his impact has been noticeable.
Hunter is second on the team in tackles with 15. He has also lined up at defensive tackle to help improve the pass rush.
Former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was pestered by Hunter's speed last season. The junior must do the same against Prescott, who is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the SEC.
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Mississippi State Players to Watch
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Benardrick McKinney
Linebacker Benardrick McKinney has been Mississippi State's most productive defensive player. McKinney has a team-high 20 tackles, five of which have been for loss.
McKinney will be challenged by LSU's running game. If Smith, Brown and the rest of the defensive line do their job up front, the junior must lead the way to tackle the Tigers' powerful rushers.
Jameon Lewis
Mississippi State wide receiver Jameon Lewis has had a slow start to 2014 with 10 catches for 107 yards. But Lewis' best game did occur last week against South Alabama, reeling in six catches for 76 yards.
Lewis caught seven passes for a season-high 111 yards against LSU in 2013. The Tigers secondary is much-improved from last year's porous unit, so the senior must find ways to get open again to help out Prescott.
What They Are Saying
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Miles said to expect both Jennings and freshman quarterback Brandon Harris to get snaps against Mississippi State, per Jim Kleinpeter of The Times-Picayune. Said Miles:
"We would anticipate that we have two quality quarterbacks and guys that can handle their business, whatever we suggest they play and what role they need to take. Again, I would think that we would play Brandon Harris in a like fashion as we have in the last three.
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Miles understands the challenge that lies ahead in defending Prescott.
"Mississippi State has a lot of explosive guys on offense, and their quarterback is difficult to prepare for,” Miles said, per James Moran of Tiger Rag.
Mississippi State committed eight penalties against South Alabama. Mullen says that must get cleaned up before taking on LSU in Tiger Stadium.
"Penalties, huge amount of penalties at key moments of the game," Mullen said, per Michael Bonner of The Clarion-Ledger. "That's a tough environment (to play in), then we get silly stupid penalties, that's even worse."
Mullen understands his team can gain serious national recognition if it can defeat LSU, per HailStateBEAT.
“If we win, we’ll get two weeks of good publicity. … If we lose, we get everybody telling us how bad we are. I can guarantee you, we won’t be as good as everyone would say we are, and we wouldn’t be as bad as everyone would say we are,” said Mullen.
Prediction
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LSU has only lost once at home since 2010. Mississippi State has not beaten the Bayou Bengals in 14 years. So history clearly sways the way of Miles defeating Mullen again.
But Mullen said his team is not concerned about the past.
“It’s all about this one game on Saturday and how we play on Saturday, not anything else,” Mullen said, per HailStateBEAT.
Mississippi State finished just outside The AP Top 25 in the latest poll. The Bulldogs are coached fantastically by Mullen, as they have reached a bowl game in every season since 2010 in a loaded SEC West.
Mullen shredded LSU early in last year's matchup for 23 points in the first half but was outscored 31-3 in the second. The Bulldogs should be able to stay with the Tigers in the opening two quarters again but must find a way to finish stronger.
LSU was carried by Herculean games from quarterback Zach Mettenberger, running back Jeremy Hill and receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry last season. All four of those stars are gone, so other players must be ready to make plays in the Tigers' SEC opener.
The talent gap between Mississippi State and LSU is not as wide as it once was. This is arguably Mullen's best team he has had in Starkville, so this could be his best chance to finally defeat the Tigers.
Nevertheless, the best unit in this game and possibly the SEC is LSU's secondary. The group can take over football games. Prescott will have some success in the air and on the ground, but expect Chavis to figure him out in the second half.
The LSU offense will do just enough in the second half to win the game, led by senior running back Kenny Hilliard with two touchdown scores.
Score: LSU 31, Mississippi State 24
Stats, rankings and additional information provided by CFBStats.com and LSU Sports Information. Recruiting information provided by 247Sports. Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow me on Twitter @CarterthePower.
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