LSU vs. Ole Miss - Game Notes

by Staff Reporter

October 8, 20243 Comments

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Tiger Stadium To Host Top 10 Saturday Night Matchup This Week

LSU (4-1, 1-0 SEC), ranked No. 10 in the Coaches Poll and No. 13 in the AP Top 25, welcomes Top 10-ranked Ole Miss to Tiger Stadium on Saturday Night. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on ABC with Sean McDonough (pxp), Greg McElroy (analyst) and Molly McGrath (sideline reporter) on the call. LSU, winners of four straight, is coming off an open date. The Tigers beat South Alabama, 42-10, in their last action on Sept. 28 to run their winning streak to four-straight. Ole Miss, ranked No. 8 in the Coaches Poll and No. 9 in the AP Poll, is coming off a 27-3 win over South Carolina and stands at 5-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play. LSU and Ole Miss meet as Top 10 teams for the first time since 1962 when the No. 6 Rebels beat the No. 4 Tigers, 15-7, in Tiger Stadium. Saturday’s game will mark the 19th Top 10 matchup in Tiger Stadium with LSU holding a 12-6 mark in those games. Saturday’s game marks the celebration of 100 years of Tiger Stadium with over 125 former players expected to be on hand for the contest. It’s also LSU’s Homecoming game. LSU has won 13 straight games in Tiger Stadium and third-year head coach Brian Kelly is 16-1 overall in Death Valley. LSU’s 13-game Tiger Stadium winning streak started on Oct. 22, 2023 when the Tigers beat then-No. 7 Ole Miss, 45-20. LSU enters the game averaging 35.2 points and 468.2 total yards per game (131.2 rushing, 337.0 passing). Defensively, LSU is allowing 21.6 points and 353.6 total yards per game (117.2 rushing, 236.4 passing). Junior QB Garrett Nussmeier leads the SEC in passing TDs (15). His 330.4 yards passing per game ranks No. 2 in the league and No. 5 nationally. In 5 games, Nuss has completed 138-of-198 passes for 1,652 yards, 15 TDs and 4 interceptions. Freshman Caden Durham leads the Tigers in rusher with 244 yards and 3 TDs on 29 carries. LSU has 4 players with at least 20 receptions led by TE Mason Taylor (28 rec., 280 yards, 1 TD). Kyren Lacy ranks No. 2 in the SEC in TD receptions (5). LBs Whit Weeks (41 tackles, 4.0 TFL) and Greg Penn (38 TFL) lead the Tiger defense. DEs Bradyn Swinson (5 sacks, 6 TFL, 2 FF) and Sai’vion Jones (4.5 sacks, 5.5 TFL, 2 FF, 1 FR) have the most impact plays for the Tiger defense.

LSU Coach Brian Kelly: Winningest Active Coach In NCAA Football
Brian Kelly, in his third season with the Tigers, has guided LSU to a 24-8 overall mark. He entered 2024 riding a streak of seven straight 10-win seasons. Kelly is the winningest active coach in NCAA football (no matter division) with an on-field record of 308-104-2. After inheriting a roster with only 39 scholarship players, Kelly quickly turned LSU into a 10-win team in his first season in 2022 as the Tigers went 10-4 overall, beat Top 10 teams in Ole Miss and Alabama and won the SEC Western Division. Kelly, the most accomplished hire in LSU football history when he was named to the position in December of 2021, took over the program after 12 years and 113 wins at Notre Dame. His coaching resume includes 12 10-win seasons at the FBS level (7 at Notre Dame, 3 at Cincinnati, 2 at LSU), along with 15 bowl/CFP playoff appearances and 3 National Coach of the Year honors. He won two Division II National Championships at Grand Valley State.

Quick Notes:

-LSU is 12-0 under Brian Kelly in Saturday night games in Tiger Stadium. Overall, LSU is 16-1 in Death Valley since Kelly took over in 2022.

-LSU has won 13 straight in Tiger Stadium since dropping a 40-13 decision to No. 8 Tennessee on October 8, 2022.

-TE Mason Taylor is the first player at his position in LSU history to catch 100 passes and have 1,000 receiving yards. Taylor has 102 career receptions for 1.042 yards and 5 TDs.

-QB Garrett Nussmeier is coming off a career-best 409 passing yards vs. South Alabama. Nuss accounted for 4 TDs (2 rush, 2 pass) becoming only the 5th LSU player to accomplish that feat since 2000.

-In its last 2 games, LSU has 3 scoring drives of 90-plus yards. LSU had back-to-back TD drives of 96 and 92 yards vs. UCLA and followed that with a 99-yard drive vs. South Alabama.

-LSU racked up 429 total yards of offense in the first half vs. South Alabama, the most for the program in a half since putting up 497 yards against Oklahoma in the 2019 CFP Semifinal.

-LSU has recorded 13 sacks in its last 3 games (5 vs. South Carolina, 5 vs. UCLA and 3 vs. South Alabama).

-8 different players have scored on receiving TDs this year with Kyren Lacy leading the way with 5. Aaron Anderson, Zavion Thomas, and Caden Durham each have 2 TD receptions.

-LSU’s starting offensive line has combined for 123 career starts at LSU. LT Will Campbell, a preseason All-America, and RG Miles Frazier lead the way with 31 starts apiece. RT Emery Jones (29), LG Garrett Dellinger (27) and C DJ Chester (5) round out the lineup.

-LSU is riding back-to-back 10-win seasons, the first for LSU since going 10-3 in 2018 followed by a 15-0 mark and the national championship in 2019. LSU still reached the 10-win mark in both 2022 and 2023 after opening the season with losses.

2 - Sacks allowed by LSU this year (fewest in the SEC)

13 - Consecutive wins in Tiger Stadium.

20 - LSU has thrown a TD pass in 20 straight games

LSU vs. Ole Miss on ABC
A sold-out crowd and a Saturday Night in Tiger Stadium will be the setting when No. 10 LSU hosts No. 8 Ole Miss at 6:30. The game will be televised on ABC. LSU, winners of 4 straight, brings a 4-1 overall mark and 1-0 league record into the contest. Ole Miss is 5-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play following its 27-3 win over South Carolina. The game will also serve as the 100 years of Tiger Stadium celebration as over 125 former LSU players will be recognized (by decade) on the field during pre-game activities. In addition, a special endzone design will be painted in both endzones. The Tigers will also wear the 100 years of Tiger Stadium decal on their helmet.

Tiger Stadium To Host Its 19th Top 10 Matchup on Saturday Night
For only the 19th time in Tiger Stadium history, the venue will serve as host for a Top 10 matchup when No. 10 LSU welcomes No. 8/9 Ole Miss to Death Valley. It’s the first Top 10 matchup in Tiger Stadium since Oct. 12, 2019 when No. 5 LSU beat No. 7 Florida, 42-28, in a battle of undefeated teams. LSU is 12-6 all-time in Top 10 matchups in Tiger Stadium. LSU and Ole Miss has met in Tiger Stadium as Top 10 foes 4 times with the Tigers holding a 3-1 advantage in those games. It’s also the first time LSU and Ole Miss have meet a Top 10-ranked opponents in Tiger Stadium since 1962 when the sixth-ranked Rebels knocked off the fourth-ranked Tigers, 15-7. Here’s a look at previous Top 10 matchups in Tiger Stadium.

Nothing Like A Saturday Night in Tiger Stadium
There’s not a better setting for college football than a night game in Tiger Stadium. It’s not only the best atmosphere in college football, but it also creates a huge home field advantage for the Tigers. LSU has won 14 straight night games in Death Valley and since the turn of the century (2000-24), LSU is 108-15 in night games in Tiger Stadium. LSU went 49-5 from 2000-09, 43-7 from 2010-19 and is 17-3 in those games since 2020. Of the 15 losses since the start of the 2000 season, 8 have come to teams ranked in the Top 10 with 5 of those coming to teams ranked No. 1. LSU has only 2 non-conference losses in night games in Tiger Stadium since 2000 (UAB in 2000; Troy in 2017). Here’s a look at LSU’s night game record in Tiger Stadium by decade since the first game was played under the lights on Oct. 3, 1931 vs. Spring Hill (won, 35-0).

LSU’s Won 13 Straight In Tiger Stadium
LSU brings a 13-game Tiger Stadium winning streak into the Ole Miss contest. The Tigers are 3-0 at home this year with wins over Nicholls,UCLA andSouth Alabama. The Tigers were a perfect 7-0 in Death Valley last year after winning their final 3 home games in 2022. LSU’s 13-game Tiger Stadium winning streak began with a 45-20 win over then-No. 7 Ole Miss on Oct. 22, 2022.

LSU is 12-0 In Saturday Night Games Under BK; 16-1 Overall In Death Valley Under Kelly
In addition to its 13-game winning streak in Death Valley, the Tigers are 12-0 in Saturday Night games in Tiger Stadium under Brian Kelly. Overall, LSU has won 14 consecutive night games in Death Valley. The Tigers won all four of their night games in 2022, followed by a 6-0 mark in 2023. This year, LSU has night game wins in Tiger Stadium over Nicholls and South Alabama. LSU last lost a night game in Tiger Stadium on Nov. 13, 2022 when Arkansas kicked a field goal in overtime to win, 16-13. LSU’s current 14-night game winning streak started a week later when the Tigers beat Louisiana-Monroe, 27-14. LSU’s only home loss under Brian Kelly came during the day when then-No. 8 Tennessee posted a 40-13 win over the Tigers on Oct. 8, 2022.

Last Time Out: LSU 42, South Alabama 10
LSU won its fourth straight game with a 42-10 win over South Alabama in Tiger Stadium on Sept. 28. LSU scored TDs on 2 of its first 3 offensive plays and built a 21-0 first quarter lead. The Tigers – behind 429 yards of total offense in the first half – led 35-3 at halftime. LSU’s defense put together an outstanding effort, limiting the Jaguars to 333 total yards and 4-of-14 on third-down conversion attempts. The Tiger defense also had a goal line stand in the third quarter.

Up Next: at Arkansas
LSU plays the first of two straight SEC road games when the Tigers travel to face Arkansas in Fayetteville. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN. Last year, LSU beat Arkansas, 34-31, in Tiger Stadium. In its last trip to Arkansas, the Tigers won 13-10 in 2022.

LSU in the Polls
The Tigers moved up to No. 10 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and remained at No. 13 in the AP Top 25 following the open date. LSU has played 24 consecutive games as a Top 25 team, a streak that dates back to the Alabama game on November 5, 2022. LSU has been ranked in the AP Top 25 for 30 consecutive weeks, a stretch that ranks as the nation’s seventh-longest active streak and third among SEC teams.

LSU-Ole Miss To Play for Magnolia Bowl Trophy
Established in 2008 after an agreement between the student governments at both schools, LSU and Ole Miss have squared off each year since then to play for the Magnolia Bowl Trophy. LSU is 10-6 against the Rebels since the establishment of the trophy. Last year, Ole Miss posted a 55-49 win over LSU in Oxford. LSU won the previous meeting in 2022, 45-20.

LSU-Ole Miss Series: LSU leads 65-43-4
Ole Miss won last year’s meeting in Oxford, 55-49, but LSU has won 6 of the past 8 games against the Rebels to maintain a 65-43-4 advantage in the series. In the first matchup between Brian Kelly and Lane Kiffin as SEC head coaches, LSU defeated the No. 7 Rebels, 45-20, inside Tiger Stadium during the 2022 season. The Rebels jumped out to a 17-3 lead in the first half before QB Jayden Daniels jump started the Tiger's offense, scoring 6 touchdowns on its final 8 possessions and outscoring Ole Miss by a total of 42-3 down the stretch. It was the sixth time Ole Miss came into Tiger Stadium as a Top-10 team, and with the win LSU improved to 5-1 in those games. The series between LSU and Ole Miss dates back to 1894 when the teams first met in Baton Rouge (Ole Miss won 26-6). LSU secured its first victory over Ole Miss two years later, 12-4, in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Both LSU and Ole Miss began to meet annually in 1945 when LSU defeated the Rebels 32-13 in Baton Rouge. Since then, the Tigers hold a 44-32-4 lead over Ole Miss.

Kelly vs. Kiffin
LSU coach Brian Kelly will face Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin for the sixth time on Saturday night. BK is 3-2 vs. Kiffin, which includes a 1-1 mark as head coach at LSU. Kelly and Notre Dame faced Kiffin and Southern Cal three times (2010, 2011, 2012) with Kelly and the Irish winning in 2010 and 2012. The following is a look at previous Kelly vs. Kiffin matchups:

Year - Results
2010 - Notre Dame and BK def. USC and Kiffin, 20-16, in Los Angeles
2011 - USC and Kiffin def. Notre Dame and BK, 31-17 in South Bend
2012 - Notre Dame and BK def. USC and Kiffin, 22-13, in Los Angeles
2022 - LSU and BK def. Ole Miss and Kiffin, 45-20, in Baton Rouge
2023 - Ole Miss and Kiffin def. LSU and Kelly, 54-49, in Oxford

LSU’s Ole Miss Ties
The Ole Miss roster features 2 former LSU players in QB Walker Howard (was at LSU in 2022), who transferred to the Rebels in January 2023, and RB Logan Diggs, who spent the 2023 season with the Tigers. Walker Howard is the son of former LSU quarterback Jamie Howard.

Nuss Tosses Career High 409 Passing Yards vs. South Alabama
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier continued his torrid start to the 2024 season with another impressive passing performance against South Alabama in Tiger Stadium. Nussmeier threw for a career-best 409 yards and 2 TDs against the Jaguars. The 409 passing yards bettered this previous mark of 395 set against Wisconsin the ReliaQuest Bowl last January. In 6 total starts, Nussmeier has led the Tigers to a 5-1 mark and he’s topped the 300-yard mark 5 times. Through 5 games, Nussmeier currently leads the SEC in passing TDs (15) and completions (138) and he’s second in the league in passing yards (1,652) and passing yards per game (330.4).

Nussmeier Turns Into A Rushing QB; Scores 2 Through The Air & Two On the Ground
With 2 passing TDs and 2 rushing TDs against South Alabama, QB Garrett Nussmeier joined 4 other LSU QBs since 2000 who have passed and rushed for 2-plus TDs in the same game. The list that now features Nuss includes Jayden Daniels (Florida, Ole Miss in 2022; Miss. State, Florida, Georgia State in 2023); Max Johnson (vs. Ole Miss in 2020) Joe Burrow (vs. Texas A&M in 2018); and Marcus Randall (vs. Arkansas, 2004) Nussmeier’s season totals improved to 15 passing TDs and 2 rushing TDs. Through 5 games, Nuss ranks No. 2 in the SEC and No. 10 nationally in points responsible for per game at 20.4. He’s accounted for 102 total points (15 passing TDs, 2 rushing TDs).

Nuss Off To One of the Best Starts for a QB in LSU History
Junior Garrett Nussmeier is off to one of fastest starts for a quarterback in LSU history, passing for 1,652 yards and 15 TDs in just 5 games. He’s accounted for 17 total TDs as he rushed for pair of scores in the win over South Alabama in week 5. Here’s how Nuss’ 5-game start to the season compares with the two other most prolific passers in LSU history – Heisman Trophy winners Joe Burrow (2019) and Jayden Daniels (2023).

(Release via LSU Athletics)

Filed Under: LSU Football

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