LSU 31, Mississippi State 0: Sam Leavitt throws four touchdowns as the defense posts a shutout

No. 22 LSU did not need a single rushing touchdown to beat No. 16 Mississippi State on Saturday. Sam Leavitt completed 31 of 38 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns, and the LSU defense kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard entirely in a 31-0 win at Tiger Stadium.

The game was settled early. LSU scored on two first-quarter drives and added a third touchdown before halftime, and Mississippi State never found an answer. Both teams arrived off losses, LSU from a 35-34 defeat at Kentucky and Mississippi State from a 56-23 loss to Alabama. Only one of them responded.

LSU moves to 5-2. Mississippi State falls to 4-2.

How it was won

Leavitt opened the scoring at 9:57 of the first quarter with a 10-yard pass to E. Wilson III. At 3:27 he found Jackson Harris for a 27-yard touchdown, and S. Starzyk's kicks made it 14-0.

Harris scored again at 6:13 of the second quarter on a 17-yard catch, and LSU took a 21-0 lead into the break.

The third quarter added 10 more. Starzyk hit a 26-yard field goal at 6:45, and with 31 seconds left in the period Leavitt threw his fourth touchdown, a 6-yarder to M. Elzy. Neither team scored in the fourth.

The box score shows where the gap was. LSU gained 387 yards to Mississippi State's 259 and had 28 first downs to 15. LSU converted 8 of 12 third downs, and its 289 passing yards were almost three times the Bulldogs' 110.

Harris led LSU receivers with 6 catches for 85 yards and both of his touchdowns. Dilin Jones did work on two fronts, rushing 18 times for 84 yards and catching 8 passes for 58.

Mississippi State actually outrushed LSU, 149 yards to 98. Kolin Wilson carried 18 times for 71 yards, and quarterback Parker Puckett added 42 on 10 carries. The passing game is what stalled. Puckett went 14 of 23 for 110 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Sanfrisco Magee caught 3 passes for 36 yards and Anthony Evans III had 5 for 29.

The Bulldogs went 6 of 13 on third down. Each team lost one turnover. LSU held the ball for 28:19 to Mississippi State's 25:38.

Against the number

LSU closed as a 17.5-point favorite and won by 31, covering by 13.5 points.

The total closed at 56.5. With only 31 points scored, the game went well under, and Mississippi State's shutout did most of the work there.

On the moneyline, LSU closed at -950 and Mississippi State at +625. The price on the Tigers was steep, and the result matched it.

The full closing odds are on the game page.

What's next

The schedule information available to us lists this game as each team's most recent and does not yet show the next opponent for either side. We will post the next matchups and their odds once they are on the board.

For LSU, the win steadies a season that has already included road losses at Ole Miss and Kentucky. The Tigers have now won all four of their home games by wide margins, including a 35-6 win over Texas A&M.

For Mississippi State, the concern is the last two weeks. After a 4-0 start that included wins over Missouri and at South Carolina, the Bulldogs have been outscored 87-23 by Alabama and LSU. The running game held up on Saturday. The passing game will need to do more.