By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU seized the morning and the day for its most impressive win of the season, 31-0, over No. 16 Mississippi State in its first Southeastern Conference shutout since 2007 before a sold-out crowd of 102,321 on a gorgeous and crisp Saturday at Tiger Stadium.
State was significantly outmanned, however, as it did not have star quarterback Kamario Taylor or leading rusher Fluff Bothwell, who each missed the game with injuries. And the No. 22 Tigers (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) never let the Bulldogs (4-3, 2-2 SEC) in the game from the opening moments of the 11 a.m. kickoff on ESPN amid temperatures in the 60s.
“Really good day,” LSU coach Lane Kiffin said. “Play early, and the rest of the day you have. Really good day, especially after last week (35-34 overtime loss at Kentucky). I’m really proud of the defense.”
LSU’s defense took advantage of the absences of Taylor and Bothwell by holding a league team scoreless for the first time since a 45-0 win at Mississippi State in the season opener on Aug. 30, 2007, in a national championship season for the Tigers.
“I know people will talk about their injuries. We got a break today. And we haven’t got many breaks since the beginning of the season,” Kiffin said in reference to injuries to three of his best players this season – tight end Trey’Dez Green (knee) and defensive back Dashawn Spears (knee) against Ole Miss on Sept. 19 and linebacker Whit Weeks (leg) against Texas A&M on Sept. 26.
Green could be returning soon, but Spears is out for the season. And if Weeks returns, it will not be until late in the season.
“It happens,” Kiffin said of the injuries. “I don’t have a lot of empathy. Hey, there ain’t a team in the country with better players on the sidelines with injuries than us. Not a lot of pity.”
And LSU suffered two more injuries on Saturday. Dominant edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, who entered the game second in the nation in sacks with eight, left with what appeared to be a concussion midway through the first quarter. And wide receiver Jackson Harris, who caught six passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, left in the third quarter with an apparent ankle injury. Early reports have neither injury serious. Kiffin will update each on Sunday.
“That’s my guy,” LSU linebacker TJ Dottery said of Umanmielen. Each are transfers from Ole Miss.
“I was definitely worried, but I talked to him on the sidelines, and he told me he was fine,” Dottery said.
Neither injury stopped LSU on this day.
“We seized the moment and knocked them out of the game,” Kiffin said. “We didn’t do that last week after having a lot of chances.”
The Tigers scored touchdowns after long drives on three of their first four possessions for a 21-0 halftime lead, marking State coach Jeff Lebby’s first shutout in a first half since becoming the Bulldogs’ head coach in 2024. LSU added a 26-yard field goal by Scott Starzyk and a 6-yard touchdown pass from Leavitt to wide receiver Malik Elzy for a 31-0 lead with :31 left in the third period.
Leavitt finished 31-of-38 passing for 289 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions for the first time all season, and he was hampered somewhat by his previous hamstring injury that he aggravated during practice last week and mainly stayed in the pocket. He hit 16 of 20 for 154 yards and three touchdowns in the first half.
“Sam really played well for someone not 100 percent,” Kiffin said.
LSU outgained Mississippi State, 379 to 291, after putting up 217 to 127 in the first half. The Tigers collected 28 first downs to 18 after a 17-8 advantage in the first two quarters.
“Offensively, we had chances,” Lebby said. “We didn’t do what we needed to do to be able to keep us in it.”
Taylor backup Parker Pucket started for State and completed 16 of 26 passes for 121 yards with an interception and rushed 11 times for 40 yards.
LSU running back Dilin Jones, meanwhile, put up 142 total yards with 18 rushes for 84 yards and eight receptions for another 58.
Now, the Tigers play on Saturday at Auburn (4-2, 2-2 SEC), which shocked No. 1 Georgia, 27-24, on the road Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. on ESPN or ABC.
LSU’s first touchdown came on a 10-yard pass from Leavitt to wide receiver Eugene Wilson III on third and four for a 7-0 lead with 9:57 left in the first quarter.
After LSU star position player Ty Benefield intercepted Puckett on the LSU 15-yard line, the Tigers drove 85 yards in 10 plays for a 14-0 lead with 3:27 left in the opening period. Leavitt completed a short pass to wide receiver Jackson Harris, who turned it into a 27-yard touchdown after refusing to go down over the last several yards as he pushed through three State tacklers.
Leavitt found Harris again in the second quarter for a 17-yard touchdown pass over the middle and 21-0 lead with 6:12 to go before halftime. Harris finished the half with three catches for 48 yards and two touchdowns.
“So, it was a really good day,” Kiffin said. “An SEC win at 31-0 against a team that is ranked. For the players to regroup, for the coaches to regroup after we handed it away last week. Really glad about their response. That was really the challenge – to play a complete game.”
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