Revenge, redemption. Whatever you want to call it, LSU needs to get a victory as they open SEC play against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Both teams are 2-1 and looking to improve from disappointing 2020 campaigns.
Dating back to 1999, Mississippi State has only defended their home turf in two of those games. That 1999 season the Bulldogs defeated LSU 17-16, which snapped a seven-game win streak in the series for LSU. The only other loss came in that dreadful 2017 game, more on that momentarily.
Overall, LSU leads the series 75-36-3. The very first recorded meeting came in 1896, the Tigers won 52-0. In their first eight games of the series, LSU held Mississippi State to just 22 points. LSU has lost only four times to the Bulldogs since 1999.
We look back over the recent history between these two teams. Over the last 10 games, LSU got the better end of the deal in seven of them. During that span, we saw blowouts, upsets, and disappointing games. In the three losses, LSU was outscored by 45 points combined. In the wins, LSU outscored the Bulldogs by 110 points.
2020: Mississippi State stuns LSU 44-34
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It was supposed to be a year where LSU would fall back some but no one expected what was to come for the Tigers. Fresh off their national championship run in 2020, the Mississippi State Bulldogs and new head coach Mike Leach threw it all over the field. They set an SEC record with over 600 yards from KJ Costello as the Tigers fell 44-34 at home.
The defense wouldn’t do much better throughout the season and it cost Bo Pelini his job only a year after he took over for Dave Aranda.
2019: LSU knocks off MSU in Starkville
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It was a mid-October showdown for the LSU Tigers and the Bulldogs of Mississippi State. Fresh off the win over the No. 7 Florida Gators and before a game against the No. 9 Auburn Tigers, this could have been a trap game. However, the Bayou Bengals took care of business.
By the end of the third quarter, LSU held a 36-7 lead, they would win 36-13. Joe Burrow would throw four touchdowns to four different receivers including Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase as the Tigers cruised through this game.
2018: Defense and special teams wins the game for LSU
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It was all about the defense and kicking when these two teams met in 2018. Cole Tracy converted all four field-goal attempts in this game, accounting for 13 of LSU’s 19 points. The defense absolutely shut down the Bulldogs offense as they picked off MSU’s quarterback Nick Fitzgerald four times. Nick Brosette scored the only touchdown of the game. LSU won 19-3.
2017: Mississippi State shuts out LSU for three quarters
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The game in 2017 was the first of two very disappointing losses over the first five weeks. The Tigers and Bulldogs met on the field in the third week of the season. It was the Nick Fitzgerald show as he accounted for four touchdowns and 268 yards of total offense. LSU scored on a Darrel Williams run in the second quarter as they were completely shut down the rest of the time.
LSU fell 37-7, just two weeks before the disaster against Troy. That year had some similarities to the current season. Started out as a ranked team in the top 15 in the preseason polls, only to be unranked fairly quickly. The Tigers were able to turn it around winning five of their final six regular-season games.
2016: LSU builds big lead and holds on to win, 23-20
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During the 2016 matchup, the Tigers built an early 20-0 lead before the Bulldogs could answer. DJ Chark opened the scoring on a 37-yards pass from Danny Etling. Leonard Fournette would add a couple of touchdown runs and they would head to halftime up 23-3. In the second half, the Tigers failed to score but were able to fend off a furious comeback, holding on 23-20. Fournette carried the load with 147 yards rushing on 28 carries in the game.
2015: Leonard Fournette's three touchdown performance gives LSU the win
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Both teams would come into this matchup ranked in the top 25. The Tigers were No. 14 and the Bulldogs at No. 25. It would end up being Leonard Fournette against Dak Prescott, which offensive weapon would win out? Prescott threw for a score and ran another one in to get close in the fourth quarter, but it was Fournette’s three touchdown runs that would give LSU the win 21-19. A failed two-point conversion with four minutes left in the game would be the difference. The Bulldogs had one last shot but missed a 52-yard field goal by Devon Bell as time expired.
2014: No. 8 LSU falls at home to an unranked Bulldogs team
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This game might have been the upset of the year when Mississippi State shocked a top 10 ranked LSU squad. The Tigers’ offense couldn’t get into the endzone until the fourth quarter. Prescott and the offense were up 34-10 to that point, they would hold on as the Bulldogs left a crowd at Tiger Stadium speechless, 34-29.
2013: LSU runs away with the game late, 59-26
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In the 2013 game, it was a back and forth affair between the two teams. LSU built a lead of 12 points in the second quarter at 21-9 before the Bulldogs came roaring back. Tyler Russell threw a pair of touchdown passes to take the lead, 23-21. In the fourth quarter, it was all LSU as they outscored Mississippi State 28-0, to win 59-26. Jeremy Hill rushed for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win. Odell Beckham Jr hauled in nine passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
2012: LSU starts slow but wins big, 37-17
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Over the first 25 minutes of the game, Mississippi State had the upper hand. To that point, the LSU Tigers had just six points on a pair of Drew Alleman field goals. Zach Mettenberger found Jarvis Landry for a 19-yard touchdown to finally take the lead with 5:31 to go before halftime. Mettenberger would find Spencer Ware for another score in the second quarter to extend the lead to 20-10.
Mississippi State made it interesting as Tyler Russell found Chad Bumphis in the opening minutes of the second half. After they made it a three-point game, Alleman converted a 41-yard field goal and JC Copeland scored from a yard out to extend the lead to 13. As the Bulldogs looked to get back into the game, Craig Loston picked off Russell returning it 100 yards for the backbreaking pick six.
2011: LSU defense shuts down the No. 25 Miss St Bulldogs
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The defense for the LSU Tigers didn’t give up much in the 2011 season, against Mississippi State it was no different. The Bulldogs were one of seven teams that failed to score double digits against the eventual SEC Champions. The Tigers won 19-6 on the backs of their defense and kicking game. Jarrett Lee’s 19-yard pass to Reuben Randle was the only touchdown of the game. Mo Claiborne picked off two different quarterbacks, and the defense held the Bulldogs under 200 yards of offense.
