Brian Kelly, coaching get A-minus in LSU football win vs Ole Miss. They deserved it.

Koki Riley, Lafayette Daily Advertiser
·2 min read
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BATON ROUGE - LSU football had its best win of the season on Saturday over No. 7 Ole Miss, defeating the Rebels 45-20 in Tiger Stadium.

LSU (6-2, 4-1 SEC) started slow but closed out the final three quarters on a 42-3 run against the Rebels (7-1, 3-1). The defense consistently pressured Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart in the pocket in the second half and LSU's offense continued its strong run of form from last week's offensive explosion at Florida.

Easily the best win of the season for LSU under new coach Brian Kelly.

It was the ideal outcome heading into LSU's open week and sets up a highly anticipated showdown in two weeks against No. 6 Alabama that could potentially decide the SEC West champion.

Here's how we graded the win.

Offense: A

LSU's offense mostly continued its success from last week. Jayden Daniels was quick with his reads as a passer and the Tigers dominated on the ground, running for 252 yards.

Defense: B+

LSU's defense looked outmatched at first, as Dart threw for 156 yards in the first quarter. But the Tigers adjusted, holding the Rebels to just two field goals in the second and third quarters, as Joe Foucha's interception in the end zone with 4:03 left in the third was key.

Special teams: A

No snaffus this week should be considered a rousing success. Greg Clayton, who replaced the injured Jack Bech as LSU's kick and punt returner, held his own and Noah Cain returned a kickoff to the 35-yard line in the first half.

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Coaching: A-

The defense adjusted in the second half with a more pass-centered defensive approach and LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock came out with a strong run-oriented game plan. The defensive penalties in the first half, however, weren't pretty.

Overall: A+

Thoroughly dominating a top-10 team for three quarters and running on them at will to close out the game deserves the highest grade possible.

Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser and the USA TODAY Sports South Region. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU football grades: Brian Kelly coaching get A- in win over Ole Miss