EditorsNote: fixes typo in 8th graf -- "yard"
Joe Burrow started slowly but wound up breaking the school record for touchdown passes in a season as No. 2 LSU beat Mississippi State 36-13 in an SEC game on Saturday afternoon in Starkville, Miss.
The Tigers (7-0, 3-0 SEC) settled for three short field goals on their first three possessions before Burrow got untracked in the second quarter.
He completed 25 of 32 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns to four receivers. That gave him 29 touchdowns this season, breaking the school record shared by JaMarcus Russell and Matt Mauck.
He gave way to Myles Brennan early in the fourth quarter after the Tigers had scored 27 consecutive points. The Bulldogs fell to 3-4 and 1-3 after losing their third consecutive game.
LSU entered the game with the highest-scoring offense in the country (52.0 points per game) and rolled despite having its lowest-scoring game of the season. The previous low of 42 came in their last two victories against Utah State and Florida.
Bulldogs freshman Garrett Shrader made his second start at quarterback and completed 17 of 28 passes for 238 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He ran for 66 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
LSU extended its 22-7 halftime lead when Burrow threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Dillon early in the third quarter.
On the next possession, Burrow threw the record-breaker on an 18-yard pass to Justin Jefferson.
State scored on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Shrader to Stephen Guidry with 59 seconds remaining.
The Tigers reached the red zone but stalled on each of their first three possessions. Cade York kicked field goals of 20, 23 and 25 yards for a 9-0 lead.
MSU drove 75 yards and Shrader ran 12 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to two points midway through the second quarter.
The LSU passing game awoke as Burrow threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Racey McMath and an 8-yarder to Ja'Marr Chase for a 22-7 halftime lead.
--Field Level Media
