Strange game.
Day games in Tiger Stadium always have an odd feel, like someone invited you to a fancy steak dinner but plopped a still frozen filet on your plate.
Adding to the oddity on this bright blue, blustery October Saturday was a game between ranked Southeastern Conference opponents that seemed like anything but.
Mississippi State was ranked higher (16th) than LSU (22nd), but the entire thing felt like a fait accompli once word was passed that dangerous Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor and their talented running back Fluff Bothwell were both out with injuries. State was forced to start redshirt freshman Parker Puckett at quarterback, a player with only 14 career pass attempts, which happens to be 14 more than you or I have in an SEC game.
From kickoff, it was evident the Tigers were going to go all anaconda on the Bulldogs, just wrap them up and never let go. LSU scored a touchdown on its first drive, just the second time this season that’s happened, and basically put State in a sleeper hold en route to a 31-0 victory.
The Bulldogs churned up a lot of turf between the 20s and a couple of times threatened to score, including one drive that ended at the LSU 2 just before halftime. But really, threatened is too strong of a word. State was defanged, shorthanded, outgunned. Pick your adjective. LSU lost menacing edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen early in the game when he took a blow to the head but still was able to hold the Bulldogs offense at arm’s length.
To a college football world outside Louisiana (and some in it) that is rooting for LSU and Lane Kiffin to go careening out of the College Football Playoff picture three weeks before the first CFP rankings are released, it seemed like a bully bad break for State.
Kiffin, in remarks sure to endear him to his detractors even more, was having none of it.
“I don’t have a lot of empathy for injuries and bad breaks,” he said. “This team from Day One has gotten more bad breaks this season, phenomenal leaders sitting game after game.
“I’m really proud of our coaches and players for moving people around. You’re seeing people playing different positions than they were supposed to play. This team was built to be a championship team with significant players, starters, that could match up with anyone when they’re healthy.”
Sounds harsh, but as former ESPN broadcaster and New Orleans native Stan Verrett said amid the hail of criticism lobbed at LSU and Kiffin after his hiring, it’s a cold game. One in which empathy scores no touchdowns and sentimentality forces no turnovers.
Kiffin was wary that Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby could conjure up some magic even with a backup quarterback and a couple of cowbells playing on offense. Like Kiffin, Lebby is an offensive whiz with strong influences from the Art Briles’ coaching tree. In fact, Lebby is Briles’ son-in-law.
“That’s a great offensive coach over there,” Kiffin said. “I’ve watched him with backups over the years play really well. Their system can move without great play from the quarterback position.”
Speaking of great play from the quarterback position, that’s what LSU got Saturday from Sam Leavitt.
Maybe his day seemed more impressive contrasted against the fact that the former Arizona State transfer had thrown at least one interception in every previous game this season — the only FBS quarterback to do so.
There is something counterintuitive about Leavitt. Like in LSU’s similar-looking 35-6 rout of Texas A&M on Sept. 26, his hamstring was acting up again. Leavitt was able to extend plays with his feet, but mostly he was forced to commit to the pass instead of scrambling and putting the football in harm’s way.
As against the Aggies, Leavitt was on target Saturday. He carved up a Bulldogs defense angled to dissuade LSU from throwing a lot of deep balls with short and intermediate routes, finishing his matinee performance going 31 of 38 for 289 yards and four touchdowns.
“Sam really played well for not being 100%,” Kiffin said. “We talked a lot this week about trusting the receivers to go make plays.”
The receivers reciprocated that trust with no dropped passes or passes tipped up in the air for defenders to intercept.
“Just taking a profit,” Leavitt said, a quote truly fit for the NIL era. “Getting to the check-down, making guys miss and always having positive plays.”
After two frustrating defeats — 32-24 at Ole Miss and 35-34 in overtime at Kentucky — creating some positivity for themselves was the Tigers’ main mission. Kiffin told his players plainly at their Friday night meeting that they had to have this win.
Yes, it took something off LSU’s conquest that arguably the Bulldogs’ two best players were out. But there was nothing Kiffin’s Tigers could do about that. You play who is playing, period. And State didn’t hold back anything just because LSU was without guys like Trey’Dez Green on offense and Whit Weeks on defense.
Next week is another week. Another challenge. LSU has to try to snap an eight-game SEC road losing streak at Auburn, which went on the road and stunned No. 1-ranked Georgia 27-24.
Strange game for LSU? Strange win? Perhaps. But one the Tigers need not apologize for earning.
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