Instant Analysis: LSU-Mississippi State

Before his club's season opener against second-ranked LSU, Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom said that his offense needed to lead the way. The visitors from Baton Rouge got very defensive as a result.

The way forward for the Bulldogs encountered a massive roadblock in the form of a purple-shirted defense that wouldn't permit the home team to breathe. Craig Steltz, Jonathan Zenon, Curtis Taylor, and the rest of LSU's airtight defense gave the Bulldogs a stark reminder of their deficiencies on a rainy night in Starkville, cruising to a comfortable victory in the SEC lid-lifter for both teams.

The tone for this lopsided affair was established on Mississippi State's first offensive series. Croom believed that offense was the Bulldogs' stronger side of the ball, so when quarterback Michael Henig led his teammates onto the gridiron for the first time in 2007, something positive needed to happen to give the home folks some hope. MSU's offense didn't need to score, but the Bulldogs did need to show that they could go toe to toe with the highly-touted Tigers.

In three plays, all of MSU's hopes were effectively dashed.

On first and ten, a flat pass was easily read by LSU's defense and nearly intercepted. On second and ten, a strongside running play was smothered for no gain. And on third and ten, a pass sailed incomplete against blanket coverage from a Tiger secondary that was the standout unit of the whole game. In just three offensive snaps, the Bulldogs quickly learned that scoring even once was going to represent a major achievement against the ballhawkers from the Bayou.

Just how superb was LSU's secondary? Four first-half interceptions--including thefts by Zenon and Taylor--kept MSU down while enabling the Tigers to rack up 17 turnover-based points and give Les Miles' team a substantial cushion at halftime. With Matt Flynn struggling as LSU's new quarterback in the post-JaMarcus Russell era, the Tigers needed a first-half jolt to bust open a low-scoring game. The pick parade from Bo Pelini's defense provided just the tonic. Steltz was the standout in LSU's defensive backfield, as the safety snared three interceptions on the night.

LSU certainly has some kinks to work out with its offensive line, particularly on the right side, and Flynn needs to stay with plays instead of bailing out prematurely. But those flaws will emerge in college football, a sport without preseason or exhibition games. As long as LSU's defense can fly around the field the way it did Thursday night, the Tigers will have their opponents on the run in 2007.