LSU really likes this offense stuff now.
One week after winding up on the losing end of a shootout with Georgia, the formerly offensively-challenged program showed it could dial it up again against Mississippi State, beating the Bulldogs in a hard-fought 59-26 victory in Starkville.
The Tigers are now averaging 45 points per game in their first three SEC outings this year.
As has usually been the case of late, quarterback Zach Mettenberger was the difference maker for LSU. He completed 25 of 29 for 340 yards and two touchdowns, his second-straight 300-yard passing game (he was over 300 by the end of the third quarter).
Lo and behold, there are weapons around Mettenberger, too. Tailback Jeremy Hill rushed for 157 yards and ripped off a 69-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Receivers Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry continued to show why their one of the pass-catching duos in the county, collecting a combined 17 catches for 275 yards and two touchdowns.
Not that Mississippi State just laid down. On the contrary, the Bulldogs displayed a balanced offensive attack, trading punches with LSU in the first half until it held a 23-21 second-quarter lead over the Tigers. The combo of Dak Prescott and Tyler Russell made the usually stingy LSU defense look like swiss cheese at times. But four quarters was just too long for MSU to hang around a team this talented and the Tigers scored 31 unanswered points to pull away.
But now that LSU has finally come to terms with the forward pass, it’s finally becoming a team that doesn’t have to apologize for huge deficiencies on one side of the ball. In fact, this team is downright intriguing. Credit new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron for finally utilizing the program’s considerable talent on offense. If he keeps getting this kind of production out of Mettenberger, we’re looking at a team that has the potential to run the table the rest of the way and set up a rematch with Georgia in the SEC title game.