No. 23 LSU (3-2, 2-1 SEC) at No. 21 Missouri (5-0, 1-0), Saturday, noon ET (ESPN)
Line: LSU by 6 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Missouri leads 2-1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Other news
Cooper DeJean, with picks and punt returns, does it all for Hawkeyes on defense and special teams
No. 10 Notre Dame visits No. 25 Louisville in ranked matchup. Irish seek 31st straight win over ACC
No. 11 Alabama visits Texas A&M with each looking for a leg up in the brutal SEC West
LSU is coming off a 55-49 loss to Ole Miss that immediately put the Tigers in a tough position in the SEC West. They head into their second conference game with Alabama and Texas A&M ahead of them and the Rebels holding a tiebreaker, and it’s hardly an easy road game. Missouri played top-ranked Georgia to the wire at Faurot Field a year ago, and this bunch has proven to be a whole lot better. The Tigers from Columbia are 5-0 for the first time since 2013, when they started 7-0 and won the SEC East.
KEY MATCHUP
LSU leads the SEC with 353.4 yards per game through the air, and will face a Missouri secondary that has a couple of standout playmakers but has generally been mediocre this season. LSU QB Jayden Daniels has thrown for 1,710 yards with 16 TD passes and two interceptions after his 414-yard, four-TD day against Ole Miss. Kris Abrams-Draine and Ennis Rakestraw are two of the SEC’s top defensive backs, but Missouri safeties have had trouble in pass defense this season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LSU: WR Malik Nabers may be the best NFL prospect at his position in the upcoming draft. He has elite speed to go with sure hands and versatility, lining up both in the slot and out wide. Nabers had eight catches for 102 yards last week against Ole Miss and is second in the nation with 625 yards receiving so far.
Missouri: WR Luther Burden III is the only wide receiver ahead of Nabers in yards this season. He has 644 through his first five games to go with five touchdown receptions. Burden has topped 100 yards each of the past four games, and it would be 5 for 5 had he not finished with a mere 96 yards in an opening win over South Dakota.
FACTS & FIGURES
LSU’s lone win against Missouri came in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2016. Missouri won games against LSU at Faurot FIeld in 2020 and in the 1978 Liberty Bowl. … LSU is ranked No. 4 in total offense with 551.4 yards per game. … Daniels has accounted for at least four TDs in each of his last four games. Joe Burrow last accomplished the feat spanning 2018-19. … LSU WR Brian Thomas leads the nation with eight TD receptions after catching three more against the Rebels. … Every starter on the LSU offensive line has at least 15 career starts. The group has 87 combined. … Missouri has topped 500 yards total offense the past two games. … Missouri QB Brady Cook broke the SEC record for consecutive pass attempts without an interception previously held by Kentucky’s Andre Woodson. Cook has thrown 348 passes without a pick. … Cook has 19 touchdown passes since his last interception 11 games ago.
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll