Mississippi @ Louisiana State preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 19, 2011 ) Louisiana State 52, Mississippi 3

Louisiana State did not let the gut-wrenching loss to then-No. 1 Alabama ruin its season, rebounding with a solid effort against Mississippi State last weekend. The eighth-ranked Tigers will look for a Magnolia State sweep Saturday when they host Ole Miss, which blew a 17-point lead in a difficult loss to Vanderbilt last week. While LSU's loss to 'Bama will sting for a long time to come, its win at Texas A&M two weeks prior looks that much better after the Aggies knocked off the Crimson Tide. The Tigers are not in the national title picture, but they are contenders for a BCS bowl game if they handle the Rebels and then Arkansas the next Friday in Fayetteville. There remains an outside chance LSU could grab a share of the SEC West title. The Rebels, meanwhile, need one win in their final two games to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2009.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Louisiana State -20

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI (5-5, 2-4 SEC): Sophomore Bo Wallace had career highs in completions (31), attempts (49) and yards (403) in the loss to Vanderbilt. He also had a rushing touchdown. However, Wallace could not do much about the Rebels' defense, which surrendered 21 points in the game's final 25-plus minutes. Ole Miss has given up 27.7 points per game in SEC play, the fifth-highest average in the league. That does not bode well against an LSU squad coming off one of its better offensive showings and finally looking formidable on that side of the football.

ABOUT LOUISIANA STATE (8-2, 4-2): The primary reason for the Tigers' offensive surge has been the play of quarterback Zach Mettenberger. The junior threw for a season-high 298 yards against the Crimson Tide and followed it up with 273 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Bulldogs. He has not thrown an interception since Oct. 13 against South Carolina, a stretch which spans 110 passes. Similarly, freshman running back Jeremy Hill has come on strong of late. Although he was a bit limited last week, the Baton Rouge native has produced 406 yards and four TDs on the ground in his last four games.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Rebels have scored on 33 of their 35 trips to the red zone. The 94.3 percent success rate leads the SEC and ranks second in the nation.

2. This marks LSU's first game against an unranked opponent since Sept. 29, when it hosted Towson. Les Miles' squad was 3-2 in a gauntlet that saw them play Florida, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Alabama and Mississippi State.

3. The Tigers have won eight of the last 10 meetings.

PREDICTION: Louisiana State 34, Mississippi 16