There is not much to like about getting shut out in Baton Rouge, but Mississippi State’s defense still gave coach Jeff Lebby a few names to trust. The offense, playing without quarterback Kamario Taylor and running back Fluff Bothwell, handed him a week full of hard questions.
The No. 16 Bulldogs fell 31-0 to No. 22 LSU Saturday and went 0-for-5 on fourth down. Here are three Mississippi State players rising and three falling after Week 7.
Rising: Jett Jefferson, Cornerback
Jefferson led Mississippi State with eight tackles and forced and recovered a fumble, the kind of game that keeps a defense breathing when the offense cannot move.
The former East Central Community College standout missed most of last season with an injury, so watching him play every snap against an SEC passing attack is a real story. Lebby also noticed.
“He’s continued to get better and better. A guy that has created a ton of trust to go play every single snap,” Lebby said in his postgame press conference. “So proud of him and what he’s doing, and gonna need that to continue.”
Rising: Marcus Williams, Safety
Williams finished with five tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. The sixth-year Rice transfer picked up the first sack of his career against Missouri, and now he has another one against LSU.
Williams has started every game this season, and he is becoming the safety Mississippi State can send after the quarterback without losing its footing in the back end. He also helped a run defense that held LSU to 90 rushing yards on 31 carries, under 3 yards per attempt. Few veterans have given this defense steadier play.
Rising: J.J. Hill, Running Back
Hill ran five times for 23 yards, about 4.6 yards per carry, as Mississippi State out-rushed LSU 170-90 without its leading back. The first-year player from Tupelo was a two-time 7A Mr. Football in Mississippi, and the flashes are starting to show.
Lebby made it clear that more work is coming if Hill earns it.
“We’re gonna need JJ to have a really good week of practice. That’s the biggest thing,” Lebby said. “He does some great things, but man, it’s really hard to play in our system if I’m subbing guys in nonstop situationally. We’ve gotta create some trust, I love where he’s going.”
Falling: Parker “Billy” Puckett, Quarterback
Puckett deserves patience. The first-year walk-on made his first career start in Death Valley and went 16 of 26 for 121 yards with an interception. Still, Mississippi State came up empty on four consecutive fourth-down tries, including a fourth-and-goal from the LSU 6 just before halftime.
Lebby liked his toughness and took some of the blame.
“I thought he responded the right way. There’s gonna be a ton of things we want back,” Lebby said. “We’ve gotta do a better job helping around him early on in the game, but for his first start, first time really playing meaningful reps, his toughness, I love.”
Falling: Anthony Evans III, Wide Receiver
Evans caught seven passes, but they went for only 40 yards, an average of about 5.7 yards per catch. LSU kept everything in front of him, and a fourth-and-7 throw to him at the LSU 35 in the third quarter was broken up by Tigers cornerback PJ Woodland.
Part of the blame belongs to a shorthanded offense that could not stretch the field. Still, Mississippi State needs its top receiver to create explosive plays in games like this one, and he could not find them.
Falling: Kamario Taylor, Quarterback (availability)
Taylor did not play, so the falling tag is about his availability, not his performance. Lebby’s update made it clear the starter is not out of the woods.
“He’s not gonna wake up tomorrow and be 100%. We’re gonna manage it,” Lebby said.
Lebby also explained why Taylor sat after pushing to return during the week.
“He’s just not ready to play. Need to have a great week this week, and he will, to give himself a chance to play next Saturday,” Lebby said. “Proud of him and who he’s been. Worked his butt off, just not quite there.”
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