Live Gameday Updates/Thread: LSU Football at Mississippi State

Tigers and Bulldogs could be in for a shootout in Starkville with two potent offenses

Fourth Quarter

Mississippi State marches down the field, makes it a two possession game, kills about four minutes of the clock. 

Tackling from the secondary has been rock solid today. Definitely a big takeaway from this game. 

Scoring Update: LSU 28, Mississippi State 10

Touchdown LSU. Johnson hits Kole Taylor as two Mississippi State defenders run into each other. 

 

Max Johnson throw sails over Brian Thomas' head and Tigers will punt. 

Austin Deculus goes down with an injury. This offensive line can't survive another injury. 

Boutte takes a screen for nine yards on the first play of the fourth quarter. Davis-Price gets the third down conversion.

Third Quarter

Scoring Update: LSU 21, Mississippi State 10

Coverage bust by the LSU defense leads to an easy pitch and catch 29-yard touchdown for Mississippi State.

Scoring Update: LSU 21, Mississippi State 3

Blown coverage.....by Mississippi State LSU takes advantage and Tigers take 21-3 lead. Trey Palmer goes for 55 yards on another perfectly delivered ball by Max Johnson.

LSU defense forces another three-and-out. 

3rd-and-7 coming up for LSU and Johnson picks up five. Tigers will punt. Avery Atkins punt goes into the endzone. 

LSU second half running hasn't been all that bad this season. Tigers open with runs of 10 and 9 yards in the third quarter. 

Defense has allowed Mississippi State in the redzone twice and allowed three points. Tigers taking advantage when the field gets shorter. 

Another nice job of this defense forcing a field goal. Bulldogs shank it left and LSU keeps its two score lead in tact.

Mississippi State has been able to get it to 3rd and short on this drive and convert. Bulldogs in the redzone. Defense able to hold in the redzone for a field goal.

Screen pass puts Bulldogs into LSU territory. Defense continuing to bend but not break. 

Will Rogers takes shot down field and pass is dropped. Defense escapes a big play down field.

Mississippi State able to get a first down run on third and short. Defense starts with a nice couple of plays but can't quite get Bulldogs off the field.

23 catches, 8 touchdowns for No. 1 this year. Dude's an absolute scoring magnet. 

Scoring Update: LSU 14, Mississippi State 3

Two plays, LSU touchdown. Energy boost there as Johnson hits Kayshon Boutte for a 66-yard touchdown. State expected the run, play action call was perfect

LSU offense to start the second half with the ball at the 25. Davis-Price picks up 10 right off the bat on the ground. 

Second Quarter

Half: LSU 7, Mississippi State 3

I understand the punt decision. But Cade York has a huge leg. TIgers will get the ball to start the second half. 

LSU staying on the field for 4th-and-2. Tigers will call timeout and discuss. Brian Thomas just made a good grab but Tigers will punt.  

This offensive line is just really struggling in a lot of areas. Just no time to throw the ball.  

Couple of really hard runs by Corey Kiner there, with nowhere to go. On third and short, Johnson completes to Jack Bech for a first down. 

That's gotta be the first good punt return of the season. Trey Palmer sets the LSU offense in great position. 

Three-and-out for this defense is a great response after the scoring drive. Tigers doing what they're supposed to on that end of the ball. 

Good open field tackle by Elias Ricks. LSU giving up the short ones as Will Rogers has yet to really test the deep ball.

Those 50/50 throws won't work as much in SEC play. Johnson learning that lesson on that throw. 

 Next throw, not so great as he underthrows Deion Smith and Bulldogs intercept the pass. Had him open down field but Tigers offense off the field once again.

Johnson sacked on first down and kills the drive right off the bat. Johnson delivers a 3rd-and-12 bullet to Brian Thomas. Huge play.

Would like to see a nice long drive here from the LSU offense after the defense just spent the last six minutes on the field. 

Scoring Update: LSU 7, Mississippi State 3

Defense bets on the run and is correct. Neil Farrell stuffs the run for a loss and defense forces a field goal. That's a win.

Tigers come out of the timeout rushing four. Makes sense with a shorter field down by the goal line 3rd-and-goal from the 2. 

Neil Farrell with a big stop to force a third down. Tigers come out of the timeout rushing four. 

LSU defense calls timeout as Bulldogs reach the redzone. Field goal here is a win for this group. Mike Jones has also entered the game at linebacker, one of the best coverage players on the roster. 

Crossing route has burned LSU defense on last two third down plays. No. 85 with a couple of third down grabs and Bulldogs are in the redzone. 

LSU defense not afraid to give up those three or four yard gains on the ground. Bulldogs with already 40 yards on the ground but LSU not giving up the intermediate throws. 

3rd-and-4 pass from Johnson to Boutte broken up and LSU offense forced to punt. 

First Quarter

18-yard run from Tyrion Davis-Price gets this drive started for LSU. Chasen Hines back on the field as first quarter comes to a close. Great start by the defense, LSU leads 7-0

But there's Cordale Flott for takeaway No. 2 in this first quarter. Rogers pass intercepted. Forced the fumble on the first drive. He's been excellent to start this game

Can't give this team many free yards. State across the 50 and LSU starting to give big chunks in the run game. 

Pick route to start this drive and LSU does a pretty good job of shutting it down. It's one of those routes that Ed Orgeron mentioned LSU needed to stop. 

Still not much help from the run game early, 6 yards on 6 carries. 

LSU picks up a first but drive stalls there. Deion Smith can't hold on to a first down grab, had a chance there to convert, couldn't make the grab contested.  Marlon Martinez was also in on that drive for Chasen Hines, who was a bit hobbled on the first drive. 

Johnson throws into a tight window and completes a first down pass to Deion Smith. He's made some really nice throws in this first quarter. 

Not much room for Kiner on an outside run to start the second drive. Loses one yard.

Big opportunity here for Tigers' offense to grab complete control of this game early. Offense looked very composed on that opening drive with a short field, will start at their own 20.

Sets up 3rd-and-8 and defense does its job, gets off the field. Defense making the tackles in space. Will Rogers with not much downfield in this one so far.

Mississippi State doing a good job of setting up the run game. Tigers will give up the 5 yard gash to preserve the deep throws downfield.

Scoring Update: LSU 7, Mississippi State 0

Johnson shrugs off the pressure and delivers a strike to Kayshon Boutte for a touchdown. Great composure and delivery on that throw. Probably his best throw under pressure all season, Boutte adds a touchdown to his national leading total. 

LSU in the redzone for first time today on another nice throw to freshman Brian Thomas. Tigers threatening on first drive.

Max Johnson completes a nine-yard pass to Jack Bech but is stuffed on third down. Offense goes for it on fourth and Davis-Price gets it.

There's a tone setting play. Cordale Flott forces the fumble on third down and Damone Clark takes it into Bulldog territory.  

Three plays in and Bulldogs are across the 50. 15 yards on the ground on this first drive.

LSU kicks off so it'll be the defense on the field first. First play of the game is a five yard pickup and Bulldogs pick up a first down on an out route.

Some words from Kirk Herbstreit this morning:  “LSU has the better talent, but do they care about playing football anymore?”

Pregame

Brody Miller of The Athletic reporting that true freshman Garrett Dellinger is taking the first team snaps at left tackle. Orgeron said he's been pleased with Dellinger's development but said right tackle is a more natural position for him. Will be interesting to see how this o-line holds up.

Can't imagine this isn't a lingering injury for Derek Stingley Jr. Team was extremely cautious with him over fall camp and reaggrevating it will only slow down a potential return more.

Derek Stingley Jr. here in Starkville, with brace on left, lower leg. #LSU pic.twitter.com/h3PtyCFvzl

— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) September 25, 2021

LSU enters this matchup with the goal of slowing down the Mississippi State air raid offense, which is off to a hot and cold start to 2021. But being down one of the best cornerbacks in the business will be no easy feat for the purple and gold to overcome. 

After being listed as "very questionable" before the game, cornerback Derek Stingley has been ruled out of the contest due to that injury he reaggrevated in practice this week. The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported that Stingley could be out "a while" with the injury. LSU will move forward with Dwight McGlothern and potentially sliding safety Jay Ward over to cornerback as well.

What's the latest on Derek Stingley Jr's injury?@BruceFeldmanCFB has the details 👇 pic.twitter.com/csNp9ZxFk1

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 25, 2021

Stingley being ruled out so close to kickoff is reminiscent of last season's opener against the Bulldogs, when an illness made the star corner unavailable for the contest. It's expected that the Tigers will play a lot more zone against the Bulldogs this go around and will potentially drop as many as eight players in coverage, making the play of the defensive line all the more important. 

On offense, this group faces a susceptible Bulldogs secondary that can be beaten and after finding some success last week with a more up tempo play style, it'll continue to be a point of emphasis for the group. The offense is still without John Emery and Kevontre Bradford, the two running backs who are still ineligible. Tyrion Davis-Price, Corey Kiner and Armoni Goodwin will all get snaps Ed Orgeron said this week.

Captains: Max Johnson, Mike Jones, Kayshon Boutte, Jay Ward and BJ Ojulari