By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Questions, lots of them, are hovering around Saturday morning’s LSU-Mississippi State matchup in Tiger Stadium.
- Will LSU fans wake up in time for the 11 a.m. kickoff? More pertinently, will the Tigers? Coach Lane Kiffin and quarterback Sam Leavitt say no problem for the players, since their regular practices are morning workouts. As for the fans, Tiger Stadium has rarely been a fierce environment in the 11 o’clock kickoff window.
- Will playing at home bring out the same Tigers who have been dominant in their first four outings in Baton Rouge under Kiffin?
- Will State’s playmaking quarterback Kamario Taylor make it on the field? He has a foot injury, finishing the 56-23 loss to Alabama two weeks ago in a boot, and was listed as questionable on the SEC’s midweek injury report. The 6-4, 230-pounder has 17 touchdown throws to just four interceptions. Dual threat quarterbacks have been trouble for LSU defenses under coordinator Blane Baker – although the Tigers did smother nemesis Marcel Reed of Texas A&M last month after getting roasted by him last season.
- Assuming Taylor is out there, along with top running back Fluff Bothwell, who also exited the ‘Bama game and wore a boot the rest of the day, will State head coach Jeff Lebby use his insight on Kiffin to great advantage? Lebby was Kiffin’s offensive coordinator at Ole Miss in 2020-21, with the first team setting an SEC total offense record. Kiffin said this week, “I don’t like playing against him because they go so fast.”
- Can this performance soothe anxiety levels in the LSU fan base? Last week’s 35-34 overtime loss at Kentucky was an upset that was particularly upsetting. The Wildcats (5-1, 2-1) are much better under new coach Will Stein, but hardly anyone outside of the Commonwealth gave them much chance to rock Kiffin’s approval rating. LSU’s sky-high football payroll, coaches and players, combined with the new coach was supposed to spark a playoff-worthy season, but that forecast took a hit at UK when quarterback Kenny Minchey won it on a two-point conversion scamper.
- And the obligatory Leavitt concern – no longer about his strained hamstring, which looked fine at Kentucky, but about his turnover tendency. Leavitt has thrown an interception in every game this season, a total of eight pickoffs, worst among all FBS QBs. He also gave up a critical fumble late at UK that helped the Wildcats force OT.
Mississippi State (4-1, 2-1 SEC) is actually ranked higher, 16th to 22nd for LSU (4-2, 1-2), in this week’s AP Top 25. But the Tigers are a solid 14.5 point favorite in a contest carried on ESPN.
Tiger linebacker T.J. Dottery, who has replaced injured colleague Whit Weeks as the defender relaying Baker’s calls from his helmet communication device, said the players are eager to make amends for last week.
“We all know we left a lot on the board,” Dottery said. “Offensively, defensively, and special teams. I think everybody has a bad taste in their mouth. We need to use that as motivation to try and be better.”
For his part, Leavitt was mortified by his late-game fumble.
“I was trying to ice the game out in four-minute,” he said. “The fumble was brutal. That one really stung just because of the situation. I really should’ve just scrambled right. But I was going up to pass it, and it it slipped out of my hand. I think it got tipped. But that was pretty brutal.
“Just can’t put us in that situation,” he said postgame. “At that point in the game, I should have just taken the sack and lived to punt.”
The Arizona State transfer is focused on avoiding adding to his nine-turnover total.
“Taking care of the football, it’s something I haven’t really had an issue with in the last two years,” Leavitt said in his media session Tuesday. “And it’s something that’s been showing up this year. So, it’s something that I’ve got to hone in on.”
And he shoulders his tone-setting role for the Tigers, which comes with his reported $5 million NIL package.
“I’ve got to be that person – the catalyst for the team, especially the offense. I’ve got to be the one that’s always going to be the equalizer.”
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com