2023 Mississippi State football summer opponent preview: LSU Tigers

Zach Arnett and the Mississippi State football team will need to account for these LSU Tigers

One significant key for Zach Arnett and his Mississippi State football team will be limiting the big plays from Jayden Daniels this season. That’s going to be tricky, especially given the talent surrounding Daniels.

MSU will need to watch out for these LSU Tigers this season:

Keep an eye on these three LSU Tigers

• Jayden Daniels – A dual-threat playmaker that Mississippi State must somehow find a way to actually slow down, Jayden Daniels is ridiculously talented. The transfer from Arizona State threw for 2,913 yards and 17 touchdowns against just three interceptions last season. On top of that, Daniels also showcased his running ability by gaining a team-leading 885 rushing yards and 11 touchdown runs as well.
• Noah Cain – An experienced running back transfer from Penn State that was really productive a season ago. He’s got the talent and experience to really punish opposing defenses who try to key in too much on Daniels. He ended up splitting carries last season, but Cain made the most of his opportunities by running for 409 yards on just 76 attempts. Oh, and he made it into the end zone 10 times. He’s certainly a great compliment to Daniels in the backfield.
• Malik Nabers – Malik Nabers is an incredibly dangerous receiving threat. A season ago, Nabers reeled in 72 receptions for over 1,000 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns, establishing himself as a reliable target for Daniels. There’s a very good chance that Mississippi State’s secondary will be busy trying to account for the dynamic receiver this year.

LSU still has some work to do to get back to the top of national prominence under Brian Kelly, but this is a team that clearly has more than enough talent to compete at a very high level in the SEC right away. After all, they won the SEC West last year and beat the Alabama Crimson Tide.

While some Mississippi State football fans are looking forward to this matchup given that it’s in Davis Wade Stadium, there’s a reason why the Tigers are favored heavily here.

The Bulldogs can’t afford to make mistakes. They’ll have to play perfect football. And hopefully that’ll be enough to overcome the talent differential that exists between these two programs right now.