Mississippi State @ Louisiana State preview
Tiger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 15, 2011 ) Louisiana State 19, Mississippi State 6
Reeling from losses that effectively knocked them out of the SEC Championship picture, ninth-ranked LSU and No. 23 Mississippi State will try to get back on track when the Tigers host the Bulldogs on Saturday night in Death Valley. LSU will face a Top 25 opponent for the fifth consecutive game - a first in school history. The Tigers have to be thinking about what might have been if their defense had come up with one more stop in last week's 21-17 loss to top-ranked Alabama. The Crimson Tide's late rally turned the Tigers from national championship contenders to SEC West also-rans.
After winning its first seven games, Mississippi State has come crashing back to reality with consecutive losses to Texas A&M and Alabama, and it won't get any easier against a third consecutive opponent ranked in the top 15. LSU has won 12 straight meetings and 19 of the past 20 against Mississippi State, with the lone Bulldogs victory a 17-16 triumph in Starkville in 1999. Mississippi State has not won at Tiger Stadium since 1991.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: LSU -14.5.
ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (7-2, 3-2 SEC): The Bulldogs put up impressive numbers on both sides of the ball in winning their first seven games for just the second time in school history, but they looked overmatched in losing 38-7 to the Crimson Tide and 38-13 to the Aggies. The offense has stalled in both games, and the defense was torched for 693 total yards against Texas A&M. The defense will have to be much improved against both the run and the pass to be competitive against an LSU team whose offense is rounding into form.
ABOUT LOUISIANA STATE (7-2, 3-2): Although the Tigers' BCS title hopes dissolved with the Crimson Tide's winning drive in the final minute last Saturday night, LSU did enjoy its best offensive game of the season - against Alabama's dominant defense, no less. Quarterback Zach Mettenberger went 24-of-35 for 295 yards and a touchdown against Alabama, and if he can continue to be a threat through the air, the Tigers' strong ground game will be even more effective.
EXTRA POINTS
1. LSU is 18-1 under coach Les Miles in games following a loss, and the Tigers have dropped back-to-back regular-season games only twice since the start of the 2001 season.
2. Under coach Dan Mullen, Mississippi State is 24-2 when leading at halftime and 27-0 when leading after three quarters. The Bulldogs have won 37 straight when taking a lead into the fourth quarter.
3. Freshman RB Jeremy Hill has recorded three straight 100-yard rushing games for LSU (124 vs. South Carolina, 127 vs. Texas A&M, 107 vs. Alabama).
PREDICTION: LSU 30, Mississippi State 16