Tigers on the prowl for big prizes
No. 5 LSU is back in the College Football Playoff race.
A 36-16 victory against then-No. 2 Georgia moved the Tigers up eight spots in the AP poll with an SEC showdown against No. 1 Alabama looming in three weeks.
Bur first LSU must take care of business against No. 22 Mississippi State on Saturday in Tiger Stadium. Then it gets its annual open date prior to the game against Alabama.
Speaking of open dates, Mississippi State had one last week in the aftermath of a bounce-back 23-9 victory against Auburn after consecutive losses had seemingly placed the Bulldogs’ season in a downward spiral.
“I know Mississippi State had an open date, but (this week) is not going to be about them,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said Monday at his weekly news conference. “Our team must be tired a little bit. I realize that. I’m going to pull off them a little bit this week.
“This is a big game for us. It’s going to be a physical game against a very talented football team. We have to get ready to go again.”
The Tigers remember well how physical last year’s game was when State trounced them 37-7 in Starkville, Miss. It was the most lopsided loss in Orgeron’s two-plus seasons as head coach.
“The Bulldogs) out-physical-ed us last year on both sides of the football,” Orgeron said. “We still have that taste in our mouth.”
LSU will try to get that taste out of its mouth as effectively as it got a similar taste out of its mouth last week.
The Tigers’ playoff and SEC title hopes were severely jeopardized by a 27-19 loss at Florida two weeks ago, which dropped them eight spots in the poll. But they bounced back with their most complete game of the season as they dominated the other Bulldogs from Georgia.
“Obviously a great team win over a very good football team,” Orgeron said. “It took a total team effort.”
LSU held the top rushing team in the SEC to fewer than half of its average, 113 yards compared to an average of 245.
The Tigers were balanced on offense as Clyde Edwards-Helaire led the rushing attack with 145 yards and Joe Burrow passed for 200 yards and ran for 66 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers were 4-for-4 on fourth-down conversions and enjoyed a plus-4 edge in turnovers.
Two of the takeaways came on special teams where the Tigers were exceptional. They snuffed out a fake field goal and recovered a fumble on the play and pounced on another fumble on a kickoff return. Cole Tracy was 5-for-5 on field goals.
