The Bulldogs came just a few feet short of a famous win against Auburn last weekend. Now Mississippi State faces a huge game against the #3 Tigers, one that could have massive implications for the SEC and national championship races. Al Dannity gets you ready for an explosive evening in Starkville.
So is there an offense here? You would think this wasn’t an issue anymore. After hanging 40 points on Oregon and 49 on Northwestern State, the Tigers would appear to have answered questions about their ability to score. It doesn’t take too deep a look behind the numbers to get concerned about LSU’s prospects. For all the praise bestowed upon him, Jarrett Lee has only attempted 32 passes so far this season and went 10 of 22 for just 98 yards in the Oregon game. The ground game is accounting for the bulk of yardage but even there, the Tigers have only managed 3.8 yards per carry. By contrast, the Bulldogs are averaging 6.4 yards per carry through their opening two games. Make no mistake, if Les Miles has a plan to beat Mississippi State, and he always does, it will rely heavily on his defense coming through in the clutch.
Dual-threat Relf must deliver Chris Relf gets a second chance to immortalize himself with the Starkville faithful tonight. His first effort fell a few feet short as time ran out in Jordan Hare Stadium last Saturday. Now Relf, who had 195 yards passing and 106 yard rushing against Auburn, must deliver against one of the best defenses in the nation. Nothing in his two previous games against LSU indicates Relf can find holes in their defense. College Football betting fans should not write off the senior just yet. Relf has been unshackled by Dan Mullen since the back end of last season and the results have been impressive. If Mullen allows Relf to take command against LSU, he might well explode.
The verdict There is simply no over-stating the importance of this game. Defeat for Mississippi State would rule them out of the race for the SEC West and probably any shot at the BCS. Victory would propel Mullen’s team into unchartered waters. The Tigers could lose this game and keep their conference hopes intact but it’s hard to see any school making it to the BCS title game with a loss on their resume this season. Miles must be perfect this year. He knows this is the season where he must bring LSU to a higher plain, one where his madness can deliver consistent performances. They will have to ride their defense again but I like the Tigers to score a big road win as -3.0 favorites with Sports Interaction.
