The 15th-ranked Tigers came into No. 25 Mississippi State's home field in Starkville like a new team: Quarterback Brandon Harris looked poised and smart, the playcalls were diverse and aggressive, and the defense was playing lights out.
LSU took a commanding 14--0 lead in the first quarter, largely on the legs of sophomore Leonard Fournette, who finished with 159 yards and three touchdowns. LSU needed every last one of them.
But can they contend with the vicious SEC West? “We have the players, we have the coaches. It's time," Fournette told reporters after the game. We will see.
MSU's Dak Prescott, frustrated most of the night by the Bengals D, finally solved LSU in the fourth quarter by lobbing short throws underneath that got them into easy down and distance. Scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs failed in the little things along the way to their first loss of the season.
They missed a crucial two-point conversion after scoring their second TD; they got called on a crucial delay of game near the end, which cost them 5 yards and probably the game.
LSU on the other hand, got long plays and touchdowns called back all night, negating big plays and huge chunks of yardage. Still, LSU hung on to win 21-19 on the road.
Fans will say Les Miles did all he could to lose the game -- and they're partially right -- but LSU's first game showed that the Tigers need a second wind to wear teams down -- and they need to stay aggressive down the stretch. Overall it was a solid B effort. #GeauxTigers
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