No. 23 LSU hangs on for 49-39 win over No. 21 Missouri

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels accounted for four touchdowns and nearly 400 total yards while the LSU defense made a massive play at an incredibly important time to give the No. 23 Tigers a 42-39 win over No. 21 Missouri.

After Daniels hit a wide-open Malik Nabers for a 29-yard TD with 3:59 to go, LSU defensive end Bradyn Swinson forced a Brady Cook fumble on third down after Missouri had quickly moved into LSU territory. Mizzou recovered the fumble but then faced a 4th-and-32 that it didn’t convert.

Swinson forced the fumble off the blind side as Cook didn’t realize he was approaching. After Missouri failed to convert its fourth down, LSU was forced to punt with 53 seconds left. But Mason Burns picked Cook off and scored a pick 6 to end the home Tigers' hopes of staying undefeated.

Daniels took a big hit in the second half

Daniels was in pain for much of the fourth quarter after taking a big hit in the end zone on a touchdown that was called back for a holding penalty. Daniels was forced to leave the game for the next three plays as LSU ended up missing a field goal on the drive. But he was absolutely spectacular after he returned.

Daniels gave LSU a 35-32 lead with 7:54 to go on a 35-yard TD run on third down. Just look at how he accelerated away from the defense.

After LSU’s sieve of a defense gave up a quick Missouri touchdown, Daniels was left to rescue LSU once again. And the visiting Tigers went 75 yards in just five plays as Nabers got lost in the secondary.

Daniels finished the game 15-of-21 passing for 259 yards and three scores while rushing 15 times for 130 yards and a TD. While LSU is likely already out of the national title picture at 4-2, Daniels should still be in the thick of the Heisman Trophy mix if he keeps playing like this.

He entered the season as one of the preseason favorites for the award and is showing why. He’s completing over 70% of his passes and has thrown for 1,969 yards and 19 TDs against just two interceptions. He also has 422 rushing yards and four TDs.

Thanks to LSU's defensive struggles this season, it's fair to wonder what the Tigers' record would be if it had an average quarterback under center. Daniels was a big reason that LSU only lost to Ole Miss by six despite giving up over 700 yards of offense a week ago and it’s incredibly hard to see LSU winning Saturday if Daniels was unable to return after that hit.

Instead, LSU is now 1-1 in the SEC instead of 0-2 and its chances of winning the SEC West are still very much alive.

Brady Cook’s streak without an interception ends

Missouri QB Brady Cook entered the game with an SEC-record 345 pass attempts without an interception. The record made it to 366 pass attempts before Harold Perkins picked Cook off in the first half.

Missouri’s offense looked unstoppable early as it jumped out to a 22-7 lead. But the Tigers scored just 14 points in the second half as Cook ended the game with three turnovers. He was 30-of-47 passing for 411 yards and two TDs while Cody Schrader rushed 13 times for 114 yards and three scores and Luther Burden III had 11 catches for 149 yards.

Missouri doesn’t have much time to stew over this loss, either. It heads to No. 20 Kentucky in Week 6 in what could be pivotal for the pecking order at the top of the SEC East. Kentucky visits No. 1 Georgia on Saturday night.