Entering Saturday, three undefeated teams remained in the SEC. Thanks to LSU and a raucous crowd in Baton Rouge, that number is down to two.
Trailing by 14 points early against No. 7 Ole Miss, LSU closed the game strong. The Tigers roared back from the early deficit to hand the previously undefeated Rebels their first loss of the year, 45-20.
For its efforts, LSU has earned the distinction of Fifth Quarter/CFBHome Team of the Week for Week 8.
Closing with a Vengeance
Early on in Saturday’s contest, it looked as though it may be business as usual for Ole Miss. Quinshon Judkins’ second rushing touchdown and a field goal gave Ole Miss a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter. The Rebels managed just a field goal the rest of the way.
The LSU offense, on the other hand, found its rhythm. The Tigers scored scored touchdowns on six of their final eight possessions. LSU put up 500 yards of offense in the victory.
LSU scored 42 of the game’s final 45 points, including the last 28. Quarterback Jayden Daniels accounted for 369 total yards and five total touchdowns. Three of those came on the ground.
Ole Miss managed just 160 yards over its final eight possessions. Micah Baskerville led LSU with nine tackles. Mekhi Wingo added 1.5 sacks and Joe Foucha came up with the game’s lone interception.
Tigers Control SEC West Destiny
With a win, Ole Miss would have improved to 8-0 for the first time since 1962. Instead, LSU is 6-2.
Under first-year head coach Brian Kelly, LSU is 4-1 in conference and three SEC wins away from Atlanta. The improvement of the offense is a big reason why.
Since struggling offensively against Auburn and getting rolled by Tennessee, LSU has put up 45 points in consecutive weeks. The 25-point loss is the worst for Ole Miss under head coach Lane Kiffin.
Up Next
Now 6-2, LSU will have a week off before hosting a contest that could decide the SEC West. Alabama will come to Baton Rouge on Nov. 5.
With the loss, Ole Miss fell to 7-1. The Rebels will remain on the road this week to take on Texas A&M. The contest is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and will air on SEC Network.
Featured image courtesy of LSU athletics
Mike Ferguson is the managing editor for Fifth Quarter. Be sure to follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeWFerguson. Follow all of Mike’s work by liking his Facebook page.