Myles Brennan, LSU Lose to MSU in 1st Game Since Joe Burrow’s Championship Run

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

All eyes were on the debut of LSU quarterback Myles Brennan Saturday, as he attempts to fill the Heisman-sized shoes of Joe Burrow. But it was Mississippi State’s K.J. Costello who stole the show. 

Costello threw for over 600 yards with five touchdown passes as Mississippi State stunned the defending champion Tigers, 44-34, opening the Mike Leach era in style. 

For one quarter, LSU and Mississippi State appeared to be headed for a defensive struggle, with the Bulldogs up 3-0. And then the offensive fireworks began.

It was an up-and-down performance for Brennan, who showed flashes but couldn’t keep pace with Mississippi State’s onslaught. Just as big a story was the absence of superstar defensive back Derek Stingley Jr., who missed the game with a non-COVID 19 illness. LSU’s defense truly missed him on Saturday.

LSU’s title defense looks to be over just as quickly as it began. Saturday’s performance will receive major scrutiny in Baton Rouge.

Key Stats

K.J. Costello, Mississippi State: 36-of-60 for 623 yards, five touchdowns, two interceptions

Kylin Hill, Mississippi State: Seven rushes for 34 yards; eight receptions for 158 yards and a score

Osirus Mitchell, Mississippi State: Seven catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns

JaVonta Payton, Mississippi State: Six receptions for 122 yards

Myles Brennan, LSU: 27-of-46 for 345 yards, three scores and two interceptions

Terrace Marshall Jr., LSU: Eight catches for 122 yards and two scores

Jaray Jenkins, LSU: Five receptions for 85 yards

Jabril Cox, LSU: One interception, one defensive touchdown 

K.J. Costello Giveth, K.J. Costello Taketh Away. 

But mostly he giveth.

LSU likely wouldn’t have expected to start their title defense by allowing Costello to throw for over 600 yards. Without Stingley, they rarely seemed to have an answer for Costello, Kylin Hill out of the backfield or Osirus Mitchell and JaVonta Payton on the outside. 

Costello made some beautiful throws on Saturday:

Not bad for the transfer from Stanford, who more than looked the part of a starting quarterback. Mississippi State found themselves a solid player. 

And yet, Costello’s mistakes nearly gave the game away. He threw a pick-six in the second quarter to give LSU their first points, another interception in the fourth quarter that quickly led to an LSU touchdown and had the ball stripped from him on the following possession. Those turnovers led to 17 points for the Tigers.

But that’s nitpicking. Plus, he responded by leading the Bulldogs on a touchdown drive immediately after to seal the win. He always had an answer. 

Leach asked Costello to do a lot on Saturday, with 60 pass attempts. He torched LSU for much of the game. LSU quickly turned his errors into points, but those mistakes weren’t enough to prevent the Bulldogs from getting a win.

LSU’s Defense Is Not Championship Caliber

Brennan may not be Burrow—not many quarterbacks in college football history have had the type of season Burrow had last year—but he wasn’t LSU’s main concern against Mississippi State. That distinction belonged to the defense. 

LSU’s offense isn’t going to be as potent as a year ago. It’s hard to lose players like Burrow, Justin Jefferson and Clyde Edwards-Helaire—all first-round picks—and still dominate offensively. That means LSU’s defense will need to pick up some of the slack. 

That defense provided some key turnovers on Saturday, no doubt, and the absence of Stingley shouldn’t be ignored. But if LSU is going to repeat as champions, the defense will need to be better. Costello exposed some major weaknesses on Saturday.

What’s Next?

LSU faces Vanderbilt on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, while Mississippi State takes on Arkansas that same date and time.