Kamario Taylor injury presents LSU, Lane Kiffin a layup they can't afford to miss in CFP chase — SkimNews
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- Kamario Taylor and top rusher Fluff Bothwell were listed as doubtful on Friday's SEC availability report for No. 16 Mississippi State's trip to No. 22 LSU, with Taylor still bothered by a foot injury suffered in a Week 5 loss to Alabama that did not heal over the bye week.
- LSU opened as a 10.5-point favorite but now sits at 17 points after Taylor's status became clearer, according to the article — a swing of 6.5 points driven by the Mississippi State QB's likely absence.
- Kamario Taylor ranks No. 5 nationally in total offense at 321.8 yards per game and carried Mississippi State to a 4-0 start before the 56-23 Alabama loss; backup options are redshirt freshman Parker "Billy" Puckett (8-of-14, 89 yards in second-team work) and fifth-year AJ Swann, a former Vanderbilt starter who spent 2024 at LSU before transferring to Appalachian State.
- LSU's College Football Playoff path still runs through No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Texas, and No. 14 Tennessee, with the CBS Sports CFP Forecaster putting a 9-3 finish at an 84.9% chance of reaching the 12-team field.
- LSU is tied for 117th nationally with 10 turnovers, and its defense has allowed fewer than 200 yards in all four wins but 400-plus in both road losses (to Ole Miss and Kentucky).
- LSU coach Lane Kiffin, in his first season, has seen flashes of high-end potential in dominant wins over Clemson and Texas A&M, including 5.8 yards per play and 26 first downs against Kentucky.
Why it matters: LSU sits at 4-2 with road losses already to Ole Miss and Kentucky, and three of its four remaining top-20 opponents (No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Texas, No. 14 Tennessee) loom after Saturday. With the CBS Sports CFP Forecaster pegging a 9-3 finish at 84.9% odds of reaching the 12-team field, Saturday's effectively must-win game against a Taylor-less Mississippi State is the hinge on which LSU's postseason fate swings.
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