The 3 Matchups That Will Decide LSU vs. Mississippi State This Season

The LSU Tigers and Mississippi State Bulldogs face off in Week 7 in a game with elite matchups all over the field.

Sep 16, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Malik Nabers (8) makes a reception while defended by Mississippi State Bulldogs cornerback Decamerion Richardson (3) on a play that would result in a touchdown during the fourth quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images | Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Lane Kiffin's first roster in Baton Rouge wasn't cheap or subtle. The staff went into the transfer portal aggressively, ultimately signing over 40 newcomers, including nine top-100 transfers.

The LSU Tigers have nearly a brand-new offensive roster, leading to many questions about the continuity of the unit heading into the fall. But by spring's end, the verdict was clear: Kiffin's offense will start and stop with the play of quarterback Sam Leavitt, with the rest of the unit still building chemistry on a tight timeline.

But it's something the offense has already made evident by the massive strides made from Day 1 to the end of spring practices.

Mississippi State is the underdog for the Oct. 17 matchup with LSU as of the preseason, and it'll need to find some answers for the Tigers all across the field.

In the Trenches

Courtesy of LSU Tigers Football.

It's common football philosophy that games are won in the trenches. Analysts say it, coaches preach it and fans watch for it.

The roster overhaul during the coaching change left LSU with a chance to right a wrong in that area of the game from last season, and Kiffin and his staff took that chance and ran, signing multiple immediate-impact freshmen and transfers.

It rebuilt its offensive line largely through the portal, headlined by Colorado transfer Jordan Seaton and several other newcomers from major schools who are projected to have starting roles in September.

Mississippi State, meanwhile, returns its entire starting linebacker corps and has rebuilt its defensive line.

This matchup is so important because, as coaches preach, the trenches win or lose the game, but for this game in particular, it's a battle of established versus unproven.

That doesn't mean that LSU's talent is lackluster, because if it all clicks, LSU will have one of the best offensive lines in college football. But five individuals don't make for good offensive lines. One cohesive unit does.

The game is in Week 7, so there's a lot of time for LSU to gel on the offensive front, but it's still a major question mark as the season approaches.

Trey’Dez Green vs. Anyone on the Field

Oct 11, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers tight end Trey'Dez Green (14) catches a pass against South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Dq Smith (1) during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Trey'Dez Green broke out as a sophomore in 2025, leading LSU in touchdown receptions and emerging as a lethal threat at 6-foot-7 with blistering speed for a tight end.

Mississippi State's secondary, on the other hand, is almost entirely new outside of one returning cornerback.

Green is a matchup nightmare for any team. He can run routes like a receiver, and he'll line up in the slot or outside. And he'll beat you down the field and in the air. That's lethal at every level of the field, but especially in the red zone.

A size mismatch like Green's against defensive backs who haven't played together is exactly what every team fears. Guarding him requires a certain level of communication and in Death Valley, that communication is already hard to nail.

This kind of matchup decides red-zone trips, and red-zone trips decide close games in the SEC.

The QB Battle

Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) against the Houston Cougars at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Leavitt enters as the top overall transfer addition from Arizona State and Kiffin's top offensive weapon, but his availability and rhythm remain question marks after offseason foot surgery and the questions that every quarterback faces when changing programs.

Meanwhile, Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor enters his first full season as a starter, but inside a staff and system he already knows.

There's way more to the game: defensive strengths and offensive line play, but quarterbacks are still make or break for every offense in college football.

This matchup is data for an answer to a question that most college football programs are asking: Is the proven talent still finding his legs in a new place better than the unproven starter who already knows the offense?

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