LSU defeated No. 16 Mississippi State 31-0 on Saturday at Tiger Stadium, moving to 5-2 and keeping its College Football Playoff hopes alive, according to the supplied report. The result came a week after LSU lost to Kentucky in overtime. The report said LSU would need to win the rest of its games to reach the playoff.
Mississippi State entered the game without starting quarterback Kamario Taylor, who was sidelined by a foot injury. Freshman Parker Puckett started in his place. He completed 16 of 26 passes for 121 yards and threw one interception, as the Bulldogs struggled to respond after falling behind early.
Mississippi State went three-and-out on its first possession. LSU then drove 60 yards in eight plays, with quarterback Sam Leavitt throwing a 10-yard touchdown pass to Eugene Wilson III for a 7-0 lead. On the Bulldogs’ next possession, Puckett was intercepted. LSU turned that takeaway into another touchdown when Leavitt connected with Jackson Harris for a 27-yard score, making it 14-0 in the first quarter.
Leavitt and Harris combined for another touchdown in the second quarter, this one covering 17 yards. LSU led 21-0. Mississippi State reached the red zone on its next possession and tried to score on fourth-and-goal from the LSU 6-yard line, but did not convert.
The report described that as the first time Mississippi State had been held scoreless in the first half under coach Jeff Lebby. LSU added 10 points in the third quarter to extend the lead to 31-0. The supplied account does not describe additional scoring in the fourth quarter.
Leavitt completed 31 of 38 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns. Harris finished with six receptions for 85 yards and two touchdowns. LSU’s early scoring and defensive stops left Mississippi State trailing throughout the game, while Puckett had to make his first start under the circumstances described in the report.
The win lifted LSU to 5-2. Mississippi State fell to 4-2. LSU was scheduled to play Auburn on the road the following Saturday, while Mississippi State was set to face Oklahoma. Those were the teams’ upcoming matchups as described in the source report.
