LSU vs. Mississippi State 41-14

 Quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Malik Nabers were an unstoppable force for an LSU offense that accounted for 530 total yards on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium, leading the No. 14 Tigers past Mississippi State 41-14 in the SEC opener.

Completing his first 13 passes of the game, Daniels found a rhythm early and never slowed down, recording his ninth career 300-yard passing game, finishing 30-of-34 for 361 yards and four total touchdowns, two coming through the air and two on the ground.

In the first half, Daniels and Nabers put on an offensive clinic. Nabers was targeted 10 times and reeled in 10 catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns, finishing the game with 13 targets and 13 catches for 239 yards. Daniels went into the break 21-of-22 with 255 yards and two touchdowns, en route to his best collegiate performance to date.

Canceling out the noise, both literally and proverbially, was a point of emphasis all week. Whether it was criticism or cowbells, it was the mindset of the team, said head coach Brian Kelly, that allowed the Tigers to block out the distractions and play four quarters of LSU Football.

The Bulldogs topped Arizona in a 31-24 overtime thriller last weekend in Starkville, which pushed coach Zach Arnett's record to 2-0 on the young season. However, the Wildcats did a solid job of keeping Mississippi State's offense in check ... which isn't common against a Mississippi State team that has become known for its offensive prowess.

Daniels threw for 361 yards on 30 of 34 passing, the best completion percentage (88.2%) ever for an LSU quarterback in a game with at least 25 attempts. He also rushed 15 times for 64 yards before he came out midway through the fourth quarter with the lead at 41-7.

'There won’t be a better performance in the country and if there is, that would be amazing,” Kelly said. “He really worked hard the past week getting on top of his throws. It was great to see that come to fruition.”

The passing game made a statement, but the LSU defense did too, limiting Will Rogers and Mississippi State to 201 yards of offense in the game, with 107 coming through the air and 94 from the rushing attack. LSU’s front seven dominated in the trenches, especially in the first half, as the Bulldogs took just 79 yards of offense into the break, most of which coming from a 52-yard rush from running back Woody Marks. 

With Omar Speights unavailable, true freshman linebacker Whit Weeks got the start alongside junior Greg Penn III. Weeks made the first two tackles of the game for the Tigers and finished with a team-leading eight, along with a QB hurry. Sophomore Harold Perkins finished with four tackles, one sack, and one pass breakup. Mekhi Wingo, Sai’vion Jones and Major Burns all recorded sacks as well.

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Sarah H

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