LSU football: Tigers to watch vs. Mississippi State
Sep 5, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Brandon Harris (6) before a game against the McNeese State Cowboys at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
The LSU football team heads to Starkville, Miss. this weekend for a showdown with the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Here are some Tigers to watch out for.
In 2014, the LSU football team was embarrassed at home by the Mississippi State Bulldogs. This year, the Bayou Bengals are out for revenge.
LSU was the No. 8 team in the country entering last season’s matchup with the unranked Bulldogs, when they lost their first home game to Mississippi State since 1991. The Tigers began a free-fall out of the Top 25, while their opponent began their rise to the top of the polls.
Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott used the game as his coming out party, and launched a Heisman Trophy campaign in the process. He threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns, adding another touchdown and 105 yards on the ground. His counterpart in the backfield, running back Josh Robinson, rushed for 197 yards and one touchdown on the night.
Meanwhile, LSU looked awful for three-and-a-half quarters.
Starting quarterback Anthony Jennings finished the game with a quarterback rating of 9.6, while the offense combined for a total of 89 rushing yards, good for an abysmal 2.5 yards per carry.
The offense finally came alive when true freshman Brandon Harris took over at quarterback midway through the fourth quarter, but it was too late. The Tigers lost 34-29 in a game that was not near as close as the final score would indicate.
This season, LSU is a completely different team.
Harris has taken over the starting quarterback job, and the inexperience that hurt the Tigers in 2014 has been been replaced with a calming veteran presence at virtually every position on the roster.
It will not come easy, but LSU has a good chance of heading into Starkville, Miss. and coming away with a victory. Here are some Tigers to keep an eye on against Mississippi State this Saturday.
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