Mississippi State was in its best position all night to win Saturday’s Southeastern Conference opener at LSU.
Bulldogs wide receiver Rara Thomas had just “Mossed” LSU’s Colby Richardson, leaping over the Tigers cornerback for a stellar 13-yard touchdown catch from Will Rogers. The score put MSU up 13-0 with 2:14 to play in the first half.
Posting a shutout into halftime would have given the Bulldogs the ball back with a two-touchdown lead to start the third quarter. It could have silenced the Tiger Stadium crowd even more, a situation any road team would be happy for.
Instead, LSU got the ball back and quickly put together a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to get back into the contest. The Tigers took the lead for good in the fourth quarter en route to a 31-16 win.
Here’s how LSU solved Mississippi State’s defense on that crucial possession.
Play No. 1: First and 10 at the LSU 25. LSU lines up with tight end Mason Taylor and two receivers to the right. Running back Josh Williams, lined up to the left of quarterback Jayden Daniels, slips out of the backfield and takes a short pass behind the line of scrimmage. Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes dives right past Williams, but linebacker Nathaniel Watson tackles him at the 33-yard line. Still, LSU sets up a short second-down play.
Play No. 2: Second and 10 at the LSU 33. The Tigers hurry up to the line, running the up-tempo offense that gave Mississippi State problems. Linebacker Jett Johnson acknowledged postgame the Tigers’ tempo contributed to MSU’s fatigue Saturday. Pressured from behind by linebacker Tyrus Wheat, Daniels runs out of the pocket and beats Watson to the edge. He runs out of bounds at the 46, gaining 13 yards and a first down. Daniels’ legs gave the Bulldogs problems, too; the quarterback ran for 93 yards on 16 carries.
Play No. 3: First and 10 at the LSU 46. LSU splits Taylor to the left along with two wide receivers. Under pressure from nose tackle Cameron Young, Daniels throws a checkdown pass to Williams. Cornerback Decamerion Richardson wraps up Williams immediately, tackling him at the LSU 49. The 3-yard gain is by far the shortest of any LSU play on the drive, a bad sign for the Bulldogs’ defense.
Play No. 4: Second and 7 at the LSU 49. LSU goes tempo again, leaving 29 seconds on the play clock. The Tigers run four vertical routes while using Williams to block Young, leaving plenty of space in the middle of the field. After surveying the field, Daniels runs out of the left side of the pocket, picking up a first down easily. Forbes is in position to tackle the quarterback but leaves that to Johnson, who brings down a diving Daniels at the Mississippi State 36 after a 15-yard gain. Once again, Daniels’ legs hurt the Bulldogs.
Play No. 5: First and 10 at the Mississippi State 36. Daniels takes a shotgun snap in an empty backfield, with Taylor on the outside on the left side of the field and Williams split out wide on the far right. The Bulldogs bring a four-man rush, but Daniels quickly finds Malik Nabers wide open over the middle a few yards past the line of scrimmage. Nabers makes the grab and dives to the 28, setting up another short second down for LSU. The Tigers never faced a third down on the drive.
Play No. 6: Second and 2 at the MSU 28. LSU uses Taylor as a blocker on the left side with running back Noah Cain to Daniels’ right. Jevon Banks gets pressure on the right side but is sealed off by tackle Miles Frazier, leaving a hole for Daniels to escape. The quarterback takes advantage, outracing defensive lineman Randy Charlton to the outside before stepping out at the 8-yard line with Richardson in the way. Daniels’ speed proved a weapon again for LSU, giving the Tigers first and goal. “He can scoot for sure, and he’s a slippery guy,” Johnson said of the LSU quarterback.
Play No. 7: First and goal at the MSU 8. LSU stacks three receivers on the left side with Cain in the backfield again. Right away, Daniels tosses the ball to outside receiver Jaray Jenkins, who is open at the 5-yard line. Jenkins shakes off safety Jackie Matthews and powers through Watson and safety Collin Duncan to reach the end zone. “Just what they needed,” ESPN play-by-play commentator Joe Tessitore proclaimed. He was right: Letting LSU climb back into the game bit the Bulldogs. LSU outscored MSU 24-3 in the second half, scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter in a 31-16 win.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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