STARKVILLE, Miss. ? The LSU Tigers resume Southeastern Conference play with the first of two straight league games beginning at 11:21 a.m. here Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium against the Bulldogs of Mississippi State University.
The Tigers are seventh-ranked in the country and 3-0 and 1-0 in the SEC (that coming in the home opener against Vanderbilt two weeks ago). The Bulldogs, under new coach Dan Mullen, enter the game at 2-1 and 1-1 in the league, losing at Auburn, but winning a week ago at Vanderbilt.
The game will mark LSU’s first appearance on the new SEC Network presented by ESPN regional television. The package is the over-the-air network for SEC football, similar to the packages presented by Raycom Sports and Jefferson Pilot over a network of syndicated stations.
The game will be seen in the Baton Rouge area on WAFB-TV with Dave Neal, Andre Ware and Cara Capuano. The LSU Sports Radio Network will have the radio coverage on its affiliate stations (including The Eagle 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge) with Jim Hawthorne and Doug Moreau. Kevin Ford hosts the two-hour pregame show beginning at 9:15 a.m.
LSU GameDay Info
LSU at Mississippi St.
Saturday, Sept. 26
11:21 a.m. CDT
TV: SEC Network | Affiliates
Radio: 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge
Online: Geaux Zone Live Audio
Satellite: XM 141
In-Stadium: Live Sports Radio (no FM frequency)
Kickoff: 11:21 a.m. CT
Forecast: T-Showers
High: 79?
Low: 64?
GameTime: 75?
Rain: 60% chance
Humidity: 87%
Wind: WNW 4 mph
Forecast
Sunrise: 6:46 a.m. CT
Sunset: 6:46 p.m. CT
Driving Directions (Baton Rouge to Starkville, Miss.)
Mississippi State’s GameDay Homepage includes stadium policies, parking, and other details about Husky Stadium.
LSU is 3-0 for the third straight season and the Tigers will put a 12-game September winning streak on the line that dates back to the middle of September 2006 when LSU lost to Auburn. The Tigers are coming off a 31-3 non-conference win over Louisiana-Lafayette as the LSU defense allowed just 272 total yards from the Cajuns and stretched its streak of not allowing a touchdown to six quarters. That streak included an impressive four-down goal line stand in the South end zone in the third quarter of the UL-Lafayette win.
“I think the defense is playing better,” said LSU Coach Les Miles. “We’ve played six quarters without a touchdown. That defense has room for improvement ? the understanding of calls, the overview of the defense and how you play your technique within that overview still understanding that needs to be accomplished. I think we’re much better at it, but at times, we were out of position and didn’t need to be. I think marked improvement must take place there, but we’re tackling and with exception, I think we’re tackling much better. As that continues and the understanding of the call, I think our defense will get much better.”
LSU has won nine straight against Mississippi State, including last year’s 34-24 win in Tiger Stadium. LSU has also won four consecutive games in Starkville, including a 45-0 victory on a Thursday night to open the 2007 season. In its last four trips to Starkville, LSU has shutout the Bulldogs twice and limited Mississippi State to a total of 13 points.
“In my opinion, coach (Dan) Mullen has done a great job in the short term, getting this team to play hard and doing all the things that give you an opportunity to win,” said Miles. “They are running the football extremely well.”
LSU will stay on the road next week to take on Georgia in a 2:30 p.m. CDT game that will be televised by CBS Sports. The Tigers then will come home for three straight games ? Florida on Oct. 10, Auburn on Oct. 24 and Tulane on Oct. 31.