LSU vs. Mississippi State Preview and Prediction

The No. 14 LSU Tigers' season opener is a conference matchup against the No. 25 Mississippi State Bulldogs. Will LSU get its season off on the right foot or will Mississippi State improve to 2-0? Here's our game preview and prediction. 

Mississippi State Outlook:

Mississippi State didn't look great against Southern Miss, trailing 10-7 after the first quarter. The Bulldogs eventually won 34-16, but they must improve to beat LSU. Quarterback Dak Prescott recorded nearly 300 yards of total offense and he'll carry the team this season. A slow start like the one against Southern Miss could doom Mississippi State against LSU. 

LSU Outlook:

This is the first we'll see of LSU this season and there are plenty of questions. Is Brandon Harris the answer at QB? How good will LSU's defense be? The one thing we do know: expect to see a heavy does of Leonard Fournette. LSU needs to be able to run the ball, or the Tigers' offense will be in trouble. 

What To Watch For: Defense 

LSU has a new coordinator in Kevin Steele. Mississippi State has a new coordinator in Manny Diaz (who was at Mississippi State before going to Texas and then Louisiana Tech). LSU has to deal with Prescott and Mississippi faces Fournette. It'll be tough for both coordinators. 

Prediction: LSU Wins 24-21

It's a close game, but LSU overcomes a tough road environment to win its season opener. There isn't too much scoring, but Fournette provides just enough on the ground. Mississippi State drops out of the Top 25 and the SEC no longer has 10 teams in the Top 10. 

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