LSU vs. Mississippi State: Game Grades, Analysis for Tigers and Bulldogs
The No. 14 LSU Tigers got their 2015 season off to a good start on Saturday by holding on for a 21-19 victory over No. 25 Mississippi State in Starkville.
Sophomore running back Leonard Fournette led the Tigers with 159 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
Now, let's take a look at the postgame grades for each positional unit on both teams.
| Positional Unit | First-Half Grade | Second-Half Grade |
| Pass Offense | B- | C- |
| Run Offense | A- | A |
| Pass Defense | B- | C |
| Run Defense | A | A |
| Special Teams | B- | B- |
| Coaching | B+ | B |
LSU Tigers
Pass Offense: Brandon Harris attempted 14 passes for just 71 yards. He didn't make any mistakes and did a good job avoiding negative plays. This win should give Harris more confidence moving forward.
Run Offense: Fournette was terrific from start to finish. He showed power, speed, vision and patience throughout the game. Harris ran for 48 yards, including a big 14-yard scamper on third down in the fourth quarter. Overall, LSU rushed for 266 yards.
Pass Defense: Freshman cornerback Kevin Toliver was terrific in his first collegiate start. He held his own. The other LSU DBs struggled with Mississippi State's De'Runnya Wilson. Also, defensive end Arden Key shined in his debut game, pressuring Dak Prescott all night long.
Run Defense: The Bulldogs ran for just 43 yards on 26 carries. LSU was stout up the middle, and the speed of the Tigers' linebackers was too much for MSU to get anything going on the outside.
Special Teams: There wasn't anything too notable on special teams for the Tigers, and that's a good thing. There were no glaring coverage issues. Jamie Keehn had a pair of ugly punts in the second half to give MSU good field position.
Coaching: Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron did a good job handling Harris. He didn't put him in any bad situations. Kevin Steele's defense was outstanding shutting down Prescott in the running game.
| Pass Offense | B- | B+ |
| Run Offense | D | D- |
| Pass Defense | B+ | A |
| Run Defense | C | C- |
| Special Teams | C+ | C+ |
| Coaching | B- | C |
Mississippi State
Pass Offense: Prescott led some impressive drives late in the fourth quarter. He also did not turn the ball over. His biggest mistake, though, could've cost the Bulldogs the football game. That delay-of-game penalty with eight seconds remaining was unnecessary and a backbreaker.
Run Offense: There was no running game all night. When Brandon Holloway got a big gain to the outside, he was pulled shortly thereafter. Prescott found no room running the football.
Pass Defense: The Bulldogs allowed just 71 yards through the air. However, they didn't get enough pressure on Harris and didn't force a turnover. MSU did a good job of limiting LSU's opportunities down the field, though.
Run Defense: Fournette is tough to stop. However, outside of a few drives, the Bulldogs did a good job against the LSU rushing game. It was enough to give the ball back to the offense a few times late.
Special Teams: Expecting a backup kicker—who didn't attempt a field goal in 2014—to connect from 51 yards out to win the game is next to impossible. The Bulldogs had a nice punt return but struggled punting the ball. Both punters combined to average just 37 yards per punt.
Coaching: Head coach Dan Mullen should've gotten Holloway more involved in the running game. And how did he not call a timeout late in the fourth quarter to avoid the penalty? As much as that was Prescott's fault, it was Mullen's fault for not getting the timeout called.
