LSU was down 17-3 early in this game before reeling off a 42-3 run to close out the game to give the Tigers a huge win at home. LSU’s defense was able to shut down Ole Miss’ offense in the second half as the purple and gold cruised to a 45-20 win as they will now head into the bye week with momentum. Here are three takeaways from LSU’s win at home against the Rebels:
LSU’s Defense Shuts Down Ole Miss in the Second Half:
Ole Miss was able to have their way in the first half on offense as they jumped out to an early 17-3 lead. This LSU team faced adversity once again as they had to get out of a hole. The Rebels were able to strike on their first offensive possession as Quinshon Judkins found the endzone on a six-yard rush.
The Tiger defense was able to hold one of the best rushing attacks in the country to just 116 rushing yards on the game. With Zach Evans not available to play in today’s game, Ole Miss had to rely heavily on Judkins. LSU’s secondary would have troubles defending Ole Miss’ receivers in the first half as they allowed big plays to Jonathan Mingo and Malik Heath.
The game would shift after the halftime break as Ole Miss wasn’t able to add on to their lead in the second half. LSU’s defense allowed Ole Miss to under 100 yards of total offense coming out of the break and posted a shutout. The momentum would shift after Joe Foucha picked off Jaxson Dart’s pass in the endzone as Ole Miss was looking to retake the lead after the Tigers went up 24-20 in the third quarter.
Jayden Daniels Continues His Momentum From the Florida Game:
Coming off a six-touchdown game against Florida in Gainesville, Jayden Daniels would need to have a big game to give LSU’s it best chance against a pesky Ole Miss defense that has shown that they can turn you over. He would continue to find open receivers and create plays out of the pocket with his legs.
The junior quarterback would tack on 248 yards through the air and two touchdowns. On the ground, Daniels would be the leading rusher for the Tigers as he had 23 carries for 121 yards and three touchdowns.
There were question marks from the LSU faithful as to whether Brian Kelly would stick with Daniels after a slow start to the season or give Garrett Nussmeier an opportunity. He would silence those questions after two back-to-back-weeks of leading the LSU offense to yet another 40-point showing.
LSU’s Run Game Continues to Flex Their Muscle:
Behind a consistent LSU offensive line that continues to grow as the weeks go on, the LSU running game was able to gash the Ole Miss defense. The Tigers have started two freshman on the offensive line that have been able to build chemistry with their teammates.
The running back group added a familiar face back to the offense as Armoni Goodwin would return this week after missing the last three games. Goodwin would be productive in his return as he tacked on eight carries for 55 yards.
The running game didn’t stop with Goodwin as Daniels and Josh Williams would add on to a balanced attack from the LSU offense. Williams continued to pile on to a solid season on Saturday as he had 17 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown. The LSU rushing attack would outgain one of the best running games in the country, 252 to 116. On a day where the offense started off slow, LSU would finish the day with 500 yards on offense.
