Mississippi @ Louisiana State preview
Tiger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 21, 2009 ) Louisiana State 23, Mississippi 25
LSU has no chance to win the SEC West, but the No. 6 Tigers still have a chance to be in a BCS bowl.
But first, the Tigers (9-1, 7-1 SEC) must deal with visiting Mississippi, the last place team in the division. And that’s no cakewalk.
The Rebels (4-6, 1-5) have beaten LSU the last two years and coach Houston Nutt, former head man at Arkansas, has won his last four games versus the Tigers.
LSU comes off its most dominant performance of the season, a 51-0 win over Louisiana-Lafayette. It was the most points scored by the Tigers since a 58-10 win over Louisiana Tech in November 2007 and topped this season’s previous high of 33 vs. Florida.
But don’t be fooled by the high scoring output: LSU’s offense still is a major work in progress. The Tigers forced five turnovers, which led to 31 points, including three touchdowns on interception or fumble returns.
LSU had only 95 passing yards on the day and it ranks 114th in the country with 141 yards per game. The Tigers were 2 of 12 on third-down conversions against the Warhawks (4-6). Quarterback Jordan Jefferson led the Tigers with 51 rushing yards.
If LSU, which finishes the season at Mississippi State, overlooks the Rebels, the game could be a lot closer than it should be. All five of the Rebels’ conference losses have been by double digits and they were uninspired and sloppy in a 52-14 drubbing by Tennessee last week.
Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who returned after sustaining a concussion the week before, was erratic.
He threw three interceptions before being benched. Expect Masoli to play much better and the Rebels’ running game is one of the best, averaging 219 yards a game (14th). Brandon Bolden leads the team with 840 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns.
The Tigers’ defense ranks sixth in the country, allowing 14.6 points a game.
LSU’s only loss came to Auburn. The Tigers not only could qualify for a BCS bowl, but coach Les Miles believes, with losses by teams ahead of them, they could have a shot for the national title, which they won in 2007.
Ole Miss stunned LSU last year, winning 25-23 as the Tigers were unable to get a play off at the 6-yard line in the final seconds.