Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor in a Boot as Bulldogs Prepare for LSU

Mississippi State's top young player is also the biggest question going into Saturday. Sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor left the 56-23 loss to Alabama in a protective boot. On Monday, coach Jeff Lebby would not give a firm update before the No. 16 Bulldogs' trip to No. 22 LSU.

Mississippi State Bulldogs On SI ranked the program's freshmen and sophomores this week and put Taylor first by a wide margin. He has thrown for 1,450 yards and 17 touchdowns in five games. Even so, the outlet listed him as trending down. The reason was his health, not his play. Against Alabama he threw two interceptions, lost a fumble and got hurt. Lebby said more information would come in Wednesday's SEC availability report. He also pointed to Taylor's decision-making and said the quarterback's experience could help him play through physical limits.

If Taylor can't play, the backup job becomes the main story of the week. Redshirt freshman Parker "Billy" Puckett was a scout-team quarterback last season. He is now the only Mississippi State backup who has played this fall, going 8-of-14 for 89 yards and adding 24 rushing yards in two appearances. Lebby said Puckett and fifth-year transfer AJ Swann have been competing since fall camp opened. Puckett's snaps against Alabama did not decide that competition.

The rest of the list shows how much Mississippi State relies on young players. Redshirt sophomore receiver Sanfrisco Magee came into the season with six career catches. He has since caught five touchdown passes in five games, including the late 24-yard score that sealed a 31-24 win over Missouri. He also lost a fumble against Alabama right after the Bulldogs recovered a muffed punt. Freshman long snapper Kyle Rushing made that recovery at the Alabama 43.

On defense, Texas A&M transfer Dealyn Evans is pushing for more snaps in Zach Arnett's line rotation. He is a 6-foot-5, 310-pound redshirt sophomore. Mississippi State needs more pressure after Alabama controlled the line of scrimmage, and LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt is the next test. At running back, Fluff Bothwell's health has opened more carries for redshirt freshman Kolin Wilson. Lebby said Wilson and Xavier Gayten first need to gain the yards their blockers create before looking for big plays.

The trip to Baton Rouge will test all of it. Mississippi State (4-1) plays LSU (4-2) at noon EDT Saturday on ESPN and Disney+. The market expects a tough afternoon for the visitors. LSU is favored at -471 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, and at -535 at DraftKings, the best sportsbook price on the Tigers. The spread is LSU -14.5 and the total is 58.5. Full prices are on the game odds page.

Those numbers will likely move with Wednesday's availability report. A healthy Taylor gives the Bulldogs their most productive passer. Without him, a team coming off a 33-point loss would open SEC road play with an unsettled quarterback spot.