Strong First-Half Play Keeps No. 1 LSU in Command Despite Second-Half Effort From Ole Miss
There was no hangover Saturday night in Oxford—in fact it looked more like the No. 1 LSU Tigers chugged a bunch of Red Bull before the game and made the Ole Miss Rebels pay.
LSU scored on five of its six first half drives, four of which went for touchdowns as the Tigers made sure to build a big lead early, winning in commanding 58-37 fashion.
The numbers were not just impressive from LSU quarterback Joe Burrow Saturday night, they were historic. In the first half alone, Burrow went 22-of-24 for 319 yards and three touchdowns, setting the school record for consecutive completions in a game with 15 straight.
In the midst of that record-setting performance, Burrow passed Rohan Davey for most passing yards in a single-season (3,347 yards) by an LSU quarterback. Davey, whose record had stood strong since 2001, will now likely be eviscerated by Burrow, who could have as many as five more games to play this season.
Burrow wasn't the only member of the offense breaking records in the first half. Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase tied Dwayne Bowe's touchdown record (12) by a receiver in the first half by bringing in two scores.
Chase and junior Justin Jefferson have now also combined for the most touchdowns (22) by a wide receiver duo in program history. Jefferson also hauled in a touchdown throw from Burrow in the first half.
With seven minutes to go in the first half, Burrow had more touchdown passes (three) than incompletions (two) as the LSU offense combined for 400 yards. That's the kind of domination the Tigers displayed in the first half.
After the Tigers went up 28-0, it became a serious question whether or not Burrow should be pulled right then and there. Well, Ole Miss answered that question, driving 75 yards on six plays to make it a three-score game.
Burrow would finish out the half as the Tigers tacked on a field goal to take a 31-7 lead into the locker room.
The second half was more of the same for the LSU offense, as Burrow would have to play the entire second half after the defense allowed Ole Miss to score on two touchdowns on four plays to start the third quarter.
The benefit was Burrow would finish with a career-high 489 yards passing to go along with five touchdowns. But it was the opposing quarterback who stole the show in the second half.
Rebels quarterback John Rhys Plumlee gashed the LSU defense all night on the ground, rushing for 212 yards and four touchdowns. The LSU defense came in top-15 in the country in stopping the run, surrendering 100 yards per game.
On the night, Ole Miss had 402 yards on the ground and combined for 614 yards of total offense. Plumlee became the first quarterback to rush for 200+ yards on LSU since Cam Newton in 2010.
With the lead trimmed to 34-23, Burrow connected with Justin Jefferson on back-to-back completions for 48 and seven yards that would keep the game at a three-score Tiger lead.
The 48-yard completion to Jefferson moved him to the 1,000-yard mark for the season, making it the first time two LSU receivers (Jefferson and Chase) both had 1,000 yards in the same season.
Plumlee and the Ole Miss offense continued to shred the LSU defense in the fourth quarter, and were helped by two uncharacteristic interceptions in the fourth quarter by Burrow. With a 44-30 lead, the defense was asked to get one stop and was able to rise to the occasion.
On fourth-and-17, Plumlee airmailed a throw into no-man's land and Burrow was able to connect with Chase on a 61-yard touchdown to put the nail in the Ole Miss coffin. It was Chase's third touchdown of the evening, breaking Bowe's record for touchdowns in a single season.
Chase finished the game with 227 yards and Jefferson added an additional 112 through the air with two scores. Even Clyde Edwards-Helaire capped off a strong night with a long touchdown run, finishing with 172 yards on the ground.
While it certainly wasn't the second-half effort the team was expecting, particularly on defense, LSU is undefeated and most importantly, in control of its own destiny.
