LSU’s offense again came alive in the second half to give coach Brian Kelly his first SEC victory with a 31-16 win over Mississippi State. After giving up 184 yards and 13 points in the first two quarters, the Tigers allowed just 105 and posted 271 of their own (along with 24 points) in the final 30 minutes.
The offense had a sluggish start but picked things up in the second half, running the ball down the Bulldogs’ throats to seal the game in a 21-point fourth quarter. Defensively, LSU was outstanding against the high-powered air-raid offense, giving up just three second-half points.
As a result of the win, the Tigers are one of the biggest movers in this week’s re-rank of all 131 FBS teams from USA TODAY Sports. They’re up 21 spots to No. 35, and if they can win the next two games against New Mexico and Auburn, they should rise even higher.
Kelly inherited a difficult roster situation at LSU, and it’s clear the new-look squad needed some time to gel together. Saturday was a much more complete performance, and Tigers fans will hope that is a sign that this program is heading in the right direction.
