A look behind the good and bad numbers after the Tigers got drubbed by Mississippi State last Saturday. 

THE GOOD

  • 98.2. Brandon Harris came into the game in the final four minutes against Mississippi State and lit up a Bulldogs defense that was trying to prevent long scores to the tune of a 98.2 QBR, ESPN’s quarterback metric. Harris went 6-for-9 in his short relief stint, racking up 140 yards and 2 TDs. If he’d had a little more time, who knows what could have happened.
  • 30. Malachi Dupre was one of the few Tigers who came to play, and the freshman showed he’s ready to contribute. Dupre had 4 catches for 120 yards, good for 30 a pop, and reeled in 2 TDs from Harris in the final 2 minutes of the game.
  • 35.7. There were plenty of drives where it felt like LSU couldn’t get off the field against Mississippi State, but they actually did a pretty solid job on third downs. The Bulldogs were 5-of-14 on third down conversions, good for 35.7 percent. That’s worse than what LSU was allowing coming into the game, but also a step backwards for Mississippi State as well.

THE BAD

  • 13.0. Anthony Jennings, who piloted the offense until suffering a shoulder injury, could get nothing going. His 13.0 QBR was the lowest he’s recorded all season, as he was 13-for-26 for 157 yards, an average of just 6 yards per attempt. Jennings was flinging the ball pretty much everywhere but into his receivers’ hands as the LSU offense puttered along.
  • 2.5. The Tigers’ rushing attack, supposed to be the offense’s strength, was anything but strong against Mississippi State and averaged 2.5 yards per carry. None of the running backs looked patient searching for holes, but it’s not like the Tigers offensive line was opening up many to begin with.
  • 6.2. LSU came into the game against Mississippi State allowing 3.6 yards per carry. That number inflated by nearly a full yard after the Bulldogs ran roughshod for 302 yards, at an average of 6.2 per run.