BATON ROUGE, La. – Fifth-ranked LSU hosts Mississippi State on Saturday following a 20-point upset victory over then-No. 2 Georgia last week and may have the most balanced offense in the nation entering this contest. LSU has rushed and passed for the exact same number of yards (1,415) through seven games after quarterback Joe Burrow recorded 200 through the air while adding 66 - and two scores - on the ground in the 36-16 rout of Georgia.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: LSU -6 ½
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“He manages the game well, takes us out of bad situations, puts us in good situations, and he’s very smart with the football,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron told reporters of Burrow on Monday. “That’s what I was most pleased with - no turnovers.” Mississippi State aims for its second consecutive victory over a top-10 opponent after knocking off Auburn 23-9 on Oct. 6 before being idle last week. The Bulldogs feature one of the best defenses in the country, allowing an FBS-low 12.7 points per game and ranking eighth in total defense at 289.7 yards per contest. “There are a lot of guys on that side of the ball that have played a bunch of snaps at a high level,” Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead told reporters on Monday. “(Defensive coordinator Bob) Shoop and the staff have done a good job putting a plan in place for them to be successful, and making good calls at critical times in the game.”
ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (4-2, 1-2 SEC)
Defensive lineman Montez Sweat leads the nation in sacks per game (1.25) and tops the SEC in total sacks (7.5) after recording a career-best three - and a forced fumble - against Auburn. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald accounted for 264 yards of total offense and two touchdowns, rushing for 195 and two scores against the Tigers. Fitzgerald – the top rushing quarterback in SEC history – is one yard shy of 3,000 for his career as he paces a running game that is averaging an SEC-best 240.7.
ABOUT LSU (6-1, 3-1)
Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 145 yards last week as the Tigers finished with 275 on the ground and improved to 4-0 this season when one rusher tops the century mark. Linebacker Devin White, who was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week after recording a season-high 13 tackles and recovering a fumble, ranks third in the conference with 66 total tackles and 9.4 per game. Kicker Cole Tracy was 5-for-5 on field goals, tying the school record and winning SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
EXTRA POINTS
1. LSU has recorded three victories over top-10 teams this season for the third time in school history (1982, 2011).
2. Mississippi State has limited five of its six opponents to 14 points or fewer.
3. The Tigers have won 16 of the last 18 meetings, but the Bulldogs rolled to a 37-7 win last season - their largest margin of victory in the all-time series, which dates to 1896.
PREDICTION: LSU 23, Mississippi State 21