STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - Stopping No. 9 LSU becomes much more complicated Now that the Tigers have shown they can throw the football.

Mississippi State (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) hopes to have it figured out when the Bulldogs play at LSU (7-2, 3-2) on Saturday.

LSU lost a 21-17 heartbreaker against No. 1 Alabama last weekend, but the Tigers revealed a much more balanced offense in the process.

Junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger completed 24 of 35 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown in the best performance of his career. The Tigers rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit and nearly shocked the defending national champions.

It's another challenge for Mississippi State's defense, which has given up a combined 76 points to Alabama and Texas A&M over the past two weeks.