All the astounding notes of Mississippi State's upset win over LSU

It was quite a day for the Bulldogs in Baton Rouge

Not only did Mississippi State shock the college football world on Saturday with a 44-34 victory over defending national champion LSU, the Bulldogs put up unbelievable numbers in the process. Courtesy of Mississippi State media relations, let's make note of what all went down in Baton Rouge:

GENERAL NOTES

• Today’s game marked the 114th meeting between the two schools, one of the two longest series in Mississippi State history
• MSU improves its all-time record against the Tigers to 36-75-3 with its first win in Baton Rouge since 2014 and just its second since the 1992 season
• MSU won the coin toss and opted to receive
• MSU’s game captain was LB Erroll Thompson
• Today’s attendance was 21,124
• The game featured nine lead changes and two ties
• The win marked the first time a defending national champion lost its season opener since 1998 when No. 5 Michigan lost at No. 22 Notre Dame, 36-20, before also dropping a Week 2 matchup against No.19 Syracuse, 38-28.
• Since then, defending national champions have lost as early as Week 2 on three other occasions, most recently in 2014 when Ohio State was defeated by Virginia Tech, 21-35.
• MSU’s victory snapped the longest active win streak in the country (16 games)
• The Bulldogs’ victory marks the first by MSU in any sport in the last 199 days (March 11 – Baseballdefeated No. 2 Texas Tech, 3-2; Softball defeated Southern Miss, 7-2)
• 16 Bulldogs made their Mississippi State debuts: P Reed Bowman, QB K.J. Costello, OL Brandon Cunningham, LB Jordan Davis, CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr., WR Lideatrick Griffin, LB Rodney Groce Jr., WR Malik Heath, RB Dillon Johnson, DE Tre Lawson, RB Jo’quavious Marks, K Brandon Ruiz, WR Tyrell Shavers, OL Cole Smith, WR Jaden Walley and LB Tyrus Wheat.
• Six true freshmen made their collegiate debuts: CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr., WR Lideatrick Griffin, LBRodney Groce Jr., RB Dillon Johnson, RB Jo’quavious Marks and WR Jaden Walley.
• 11 Bulldogs made their first career start on Saturday: LB Aaron Brule, S London Craft, OL Charles Cross, CB Esaias Furdge, WR Malik Heath, OL Kwatrivous Johnson, RB Jo’quavious Marks, S Fred Peters, WR Tyrell Shavers, OL Cole Smith and WR Tyrus Wheat
• Of the 11 first-time starters, six came on offense and five on defense

TEAM OFFENSE NOTES

• 10 different receivers caught a pass matching the team’s 2019 season high
• State had eight plays of 20+ yards in the first half alone (all passing), which surpassed their game total from all but one game in 2019 (Arkansas – 9, 6 pass, 3 rush). The Bulldogs finished with 16 plays of 20+yards (all passing)
• Osirus Mitchell (183), Kylin Hill (158) and JaVonta Payton (122) gave MSU multiple 100-yard receiversfor the first time since Donald Gray (207) & Fred Ross (107) did so against Samford on Oct. 29, 2016
• It was just the second time in program history that MSU had a trio of receivers crack the century mark (Joe Morrow, 117; De’Runnya Wilson, 105; and Fred Ross, 102 in the 2014 Orange Bowl vs. Georgia Tech, Dec. 31)
• LSU had not allowed more than 420 passing yards in a game over the last six seasons
• 632 yards of total offense is second only to last year’s Arkansas game (Nov. 2, 2019) for total offense in an SEC game in MSU history and is fifth overall

TEAM DEFENSE NOTES

• The Bulldog defense held LSU scoreless in the first quarter. The Tigers went scoreless in just three quarters all season in 2019.
• MSU’s defense forced punts on LSU’s first four drives of the game.
• MSU has a takeaway in 27 of its last 30 games after CB Esaias Furdge intercepted a pass in the third quarter
• CB Emmanuel Forbes also intercepted a pass on the final play of the game
• Surpassed MSU’s 2019 season-high (4.0) with 7.0 sacks, giving State at least 4.0 sacks in each of its last four games dating back to Nov. 23, 2019 against Abilene Christian
• The last time MSU had 7.0 sacks was against Ole Miss on Nov. 28, 2015

QB K.J. Costello

• Career-high 623 passing yards was an MSU record, an SEC record and is 11th in NCAA history
• Became the 11th quarterback in SEC history to pass for 500 yards
• Ninth career 300-yard passing game
• MSU first 400-yard passer since Nick Fitzgerald threw for 417 against Samford on Oct. 29, 2016
• 36 completions are an MSU record (Previously: Dak Prescott, 33 - vs. Arkansas on Nov. 21, 2015)
• Five touchdown passes tied the MSU school record (Last by Keytaon Thompson vs. Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 1, 2018)
• First Bulldog to throw four touchdown passes since Nick Fitzgerald against Arkansas on Nov. 17, 2018
• 60 passing attempts is a school record (Previous: Joe Reed, 53 - vs. LSU on Nov. 14, 1970)
• Passing yards are the most by any quarterback in his first start under Mike Leach and his 168.1 QBR ranks fourth

WR Osirus Mitchell

• Became the ninth player in school history to record 100 or more receiving yards against the Tigers (183) setting a school record for yards against LSU
• Caught two touchdown passes, matching his career highs

RB Kylin Hill 

• Set career highs in receptions (8) and receiving yards (158)
• Caught a 75-yard touchdown pass to give MSU a 26-24 lead in the third quarter capping a one-play, 15-second drive
• Became the 11th player in school history to record 100 or more receiving yards against the Tigers (158), trailing only Osirus Mitchell (183, today)

RB Jo'Quavious Marks

• First career carry went for 11 yards and a first down

WR JaVonta Payton

• Became the 10th player in school history to record 100 or more receiving yards against the Tigers (122)
• Caught a career-high six passes for a career-high in yardage
• Matched his career-long reception (34)

WR Cameron Gardner

• Caught a career-high two passes for a career-high 35 yards, including a career-long catch of 24 yards

WR Austin Williams

• Matched his career high with three catches by the end of the first half, finished with seven
• Posted a career-high 57 receiving yards
• Caught the sixth touchdown of his career

WR Tyrell Shavers

• Second career catch, and first as a Bulldog, went for a 31-yard touchdown in the second quarter

LB Aaron Brule

• Tied his career high for tackles with five in the first half alone, finished with 10

LB Erroll Thompson

• SEC active career leader with 227 tackles, 10 today
• Picked up a sack on third down in the red zone to force the Tigers to settle for a field goal

LB Tyrus Wheat

• Picked up his first career sack in the second quarter for a loss of seven yards

DE Marquiss Spencer

• Recorded a career-high 2.0 sacks for a combined loss of 10 yards

DE Kobe Jones

• Picked up a half sack with Nathan Pickering, now has 5.5 in his career

DT Nathan Pickering

• Picked up a half sack with Kobe Jones, now has 3.5 in his career

S Shawn Preston, Jr.

• Led the Bulldogs with a career-high 11 tackles

CB Esaias Furdge

• Picked off a pass for his first career interception
• Made six tackles

CB Emmanuel Forbes

• Picked off a pass for his first career interception on the final play of the game

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