LSU football has found a groove and they hope to stay in it as they begin SEC play on Saturday night vs. Mississippi State. Here is our preview of the matchup.
The LSU Tigers have been strong on both sides of the ball so far this season. Between the first two games of the season they have outscored opponents 72-10 and have been absolutely dominant on the defensive side of the ball.
However, they have only played the likes of BYU and Chattanooga. New offensive coordinator Matt Canada will have to open his play book and get down and dirty against an SEC opponent in Mississippi State.
Overall though, the Tigers are looking pretty spiffy. They are sitting pretty in a perfect position to get the win on Saturday night, however it could be a close one depending on what the Mississippi State defense has drawn up.
Both teams have been pretty even on offense, running 50 percent of the time and passing the other half. That will help both teams moving forward, but it will definitely come down to what defense has the better day on Saturday. Playing in Starkville is no joke, but when the Tigers come from Death Valley, I doubt they will be stressing much about the noise.
Junior running back Derrius Guice, along with quarterback Danny Etling will have to put up some serious points to take this one home as victory to Baton Rouge. They will also have to make sure their penalty happy team plays clean on Satuday night. Can they do it? Of course. Will they do it? Now that’s another story.
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s LSU vs Mississippi State showdown:
Date: Saturday Sept. 16
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Starkville, Miss.
Venue: Davis Wade Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
Yes, the key to victory for any team is obviously score more points than the other team, but in this one that’s for real. The LSU defense has been no joke and the Mississippi State defense has had it’s strong moments too.
The team that comes out victorious in this one needs to score early and often. While I picture that being LSU, it could very easily be the Bulldogs. They have a talent all their own to just surprise people, beating teams or at the very least hanging around them that no one expected.
To win this one though, a team has to get the ground game going. With LSU having Derrius Guice on their side, expect them to run the ball often. Guice is a grown man in a college football players body, hitting defenders head on and taking them with him to the goal line. Etling will obviously use the long pass he’s used the last two games to make some serious yardage, but look for Guice to be the star of the show for the Tigers.
For Mississippi State, if Nick Fitzgerald can stay poised against the likes of Arden Key and the LSU defense, the Bulldogs have as much of a chance as anyone to come out victorious. However, Key, who is making his first start of the year after shoulder surgery, is ready to go. This will be a battle of poise, cleanliness, and defense. Buckle your seatbelts folks, it’s gonna be a wild ride.
Prediction
As I said, both teams have the offensive and defensive ability to win. However, in terms of defense, LSU has shown more consistency albeit sloppy consistency to date than Mississippi State has. If they can clean up their act, I see Fitzgerald hitting turf at least three times over the course of the game.
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This game could be a lot closer than many people expect and will come down to which offense shows the most poise throughout the night. My prediction is that LSU gets it done, though it comes down to the fourth quarter for them to do so.
Final Score: LSU 35, Mississippi State 21