Mississippi State Football: Keys to Victory vs. LSU

The Mississippi State football team takes on LSU on Saturday night. The Bulldogs have only found two wins at Death Valley in 30 years! How can the Bulldogs pull off a win in Baton Rouge this weekend? Here are the keys to victory:

1. Silence Death Valley early and often.

Tiger Stadium is going to be loud and rowdy on Saturday night considering it’s LSU’s first SEC home game of the season. Only SEC teams truly know how important this key to victory is. If the Mississippi State Bulldogs can go down the field on their first offensive possession of the game and score a touchdown, that’s huge.

2. Will Rogers needs to play a clean game.

I said a clean game, not a perfect game. What does a clean game entail? No more than one interception. I think Rogers can give up one turnover, but more than one creates a recipe for a rowdy Tiger Stadium. So, go score some tuddies on Saturday night, Will Rogers III. 

3. Keep the LSU defense guessing.

Mike Leach needs to establish some sort of running game. Yes, I know that the words ‘Mike Leach’ and ‘running game’ aren’t supposed to be in the same sentence, but he did it last week vs. Arizona. Mississippi State is playing a much more talented defense this Saturday vs. LSU, but if Leach can keep the defense guessing, Will Rogers and company can move the football down the field.

4. Make big plays.

There is going to be an opportunity for a big play in a big moment on Saturday. I anticipate this game being close up until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Whether it’s Emmanuel Forbes, Will Rogers, or Jett Johnson, someone is going to have to make that big play.

5. Finish in the red zone.

This seemed to be a major problem for the 2021 Mississippi State football team. It doesn’t appear that this year’s team has the same issue, but we haven’t played against the competition we’re going to face on Saturday night. If Mississippi State marches down inside the LSU 20-yard line, they need six on the board.