LSU gets dominant performance from offense, shuts out Mississippi State

In case it wasn’t clear, Sam Leavitt can play football.

The junior quarterback was excellent on Saturday as the LSU Tigers throttled Mississippi State 31-0 inside Tiger Stadium.

Leavitt, the former Heisman hopeful, went 31-of-38 for 289 yards and four touchdown passes while looking very comfortable in the pocket. The Arizona State transfer was only sacked twice in the contest.

Jackson Harris was his top receiving target as he had six catches for 85 yards and a pair of touchdowns before leaving the game in the second half with an injury. The Tigers also did a nice job of moving the football around, as seven players had multiple catches in the contest.

“I know people are going to talk about injuries and that will be a storyline,” Kiffin said after the game. It was clear he was speaking on Mississippi State being without their quarterback Kamario Taylor, one of the most dynamic playmakers in football, along with their leading running back Fluff Bothwell.

“But there ain’t a team in America that has more significant players standing on the sideline than us,” Kiffin added. “So, not a lot of pity there.”

The Tigers are now ranked 17th in the AP poll as they prepare to go to Auburn on Saturday, which is coming off a last-second victory over #1 Georgia. Five of the top seven teams in the AP Poll lost on Saturday, marking the first time ever that has happened.

The game from Jordan Hare Stadium will kick off at 11:00 a.m. on ABC before the Bayou Bengals heads to their bye week.