Tigers Dominate State on Both Sides of the Ball, 42-0
10/20/01



STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) -- Rohan Davey and receiver Josh Reed hooked up 10 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns as LSU dominated Mississippi State 42-0 Saturday night.

The Tigers (4-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) won consecutive road games for the first time in four years and beat the Bulldogs (1-5, 0-4) for the ninth time in 10 meetings.

None have been easier. It was the Tigers' most lopsided win in the series since a 47-0 rout in 1986.

Davey was 16-for-25 for 255 yards and three touchdowns, while fourth-quarter backup Matt Mauck was 2-of-4 for 25 yards.

Mississippi State, which began the season ranked, has lost five straight for the first time in 13 years and is 0-4 in the SEC for the first time since 1995.

Already trailing 14-0, the Bulldogs committed turnovers deep in their own territory on their first two second-half possessions. LSU turned both into touchdowns.

Moments after LSU recovered a muffed punt at the Bulldogs' 38, Davey threaded a pass between two defenders into the end zone to Reed, who beat his man with a sharp inside move. The 22-yard play put the Tigers up three touchdowns.

Ryan Clark intercepted a pass at Mississippi State's 21 about a minute later and Davey went back to work.

He hit Michael Clayton over the middle for 20 yards and Domanick Davis ran in from a yard out on the next play to up the lead to 28-0 with 8:17 left in the third quarter.

Reed, who came in leading the SEC in receiving yards (133 per game), caught all six of Davey's first-half completions for 116 yards.

It was the 13th career 100-yard game for Reed, tying a school record held by Wendell Davis.

Davey and Reed teamed for a 13-yard touchdown in the second quarter that gave the Tigers a 14-0 lead.

Dicenzo Miller's return to the lineup after missing two of the last three games with an ankle injury was the lone bright spot for Mississippi State. The tailback had 122 total yards while wearing a new number.

Miller donned No. 31 instead of his usual 12 in honor of his injured backfield-mate, Justin Griffith. The fullback is out for the season after having surgery this week to remove a bone spur in his neck.

Mississippi State tried to jump start its struggling offense by inserting backup quarterback Kevin Fant in the second quarter.

It didn't help.

Fant was 11-for-26 for 168 yards with two interceptions. Starter Wayne Madkin, who returned in the third quarter, was 7-for-16 for 80 yards and an interception.

The Bulldogs have averaged seven points a game during their losing streak and have been shut out twice.