Jayden Daniels ran for three touchdowns and threw two touchdown passes as host LSU handed No. 7 Ole Miss its first loss of the season, 45-20, in an SEC game Saturday afternoon.
Daniels, who had three touchdown runs and three touchdown passes in a 45-35 victory at Florida a week earlier, passed for 248 yards and ran for a game-high 121 yards.
The Tigers (6-2, 4-1) joined the Rebels (7-1, 3-1) and No. 6 Alabama as the only one-loss teams in the SEC West.
Jaxson Dart passed for 284 yards and Malik Heath had eight catches for 145 yards to lead the Rebels, but they were outscored 42-3 after taking a two-touchdown lead in the second quarter.
Daniels threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Mason Taylor to give LSU a 24-20 lead midway through the third quarter.
The Rebels drove to the Tigers 9 on the ensuing possession, but Dart was intercepted by Joe Foucha in the end zone.
Daniels ran 11 yards for a touchdown that increased the lead to 31-20 with 14:18 remaining. He added a 17-yard scoring run, and Josh Williams’ 1-yard touchdown run completed the scoring.
On the first possession of the game Ole Miss drove to Quinshon Judkins’ 6-yard touchdown run.
LSU then reached the Rebels’ 6 before settling for Damian Ramos’ 23-yard field goal.
Judkins ran 3 yards for a touchdown on the next possession to increase Ole Miss’ lead to 14-3.
The Tigers drove into scoring range again, but Ramos missed a 42-yard field goal, leaving the Rebels with their 11-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
Jonathan Cruz’s 32-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter pushed the lead to 17-3.
LSU responded with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to Jaray Jenkins, then forced Ole Miss to punt for the first time in four possessions.
The Tigers’ next possession ended with Daniels running three yards for a touchdown that tied the score at 17.
Cruz’s 48-yard field goal with 4:08 remaining in the second quarter gave the Rebels a 20-17 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media