Brian Kelly said his team learned its lesson from a blowout loss at home to a top-10 SEC team. You can say that again after a stunning, 45-20 victory over No. 7 Ole Miss.
LSU is certain to return to the top 25 after this week, and they're now squarely in the running atop the SEC West with an open week and Alabama on tap.
"Consistency, and our best players played well today," Kelly said on the field after the game. "And our defense, hats off to them in the second half."
With all that in mind, here are my three quick takeaways after another SEC rally and the biggest win of the Brian Kelly era to day.
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TRUST THE RECEIVERS
It seems like Brian Kelly knows what he's talking about, particularly as it pertained to his QB taking some more risks downfield.
The legs were always going to be an option for Jayden Daniels. He's also snapped LSU's program record for rushing yards in just eight games. But the Tigers are a team that always features some of the best pass-catchers in the country. Not giving them a chance is QB malpractice.
The last few weeks have shown that Daniels has gotten the memo. He fired the ball confidently downfield to his receivers multiple times, and it typically paid off -- even if they were a bit wobbly.
The first went to Brian Thomas Jr. who was interfered with as he worked back to the ball, setting up the Tigers deep in Ole Miss territory for a drive that would result in a field goal. Later it would be Jaray Jenkins who successfully worked back to a ball before navigating into the end zone.
Daniels finished 21-of-28 for 248 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran for a team-high 121 yards and another 3 TDs on his 23 carries.
The legs will always be there. When Daniels makes you respect the pass, too, he can be really dangerous. He made sure Ole Miss learned that today.
And don't look now, but if the Tigers are able to upset Alabama (a big if, obviously), Daniels for Heisman might not be out of the question, and neither is a College Football Playoff bid -- as crazy as that sounds.
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THIS IS JOSH WILLIAMS' BACKFIELD
Heading into the season Brian Kelly declared that his backfield would be very much a committee. You could end up seeing as many as four running backs, and obviously Jayden Daniels' run game would be a factor.
Fast forward eight games, and it couldn't be clearer who the lead back is. It's not John Emery Jr. It's not Armoni Goodwin. It's Josh Williams.
After becoming the first Tigers running back to top 100 yards in last week's win over Florida, he ran hard and often against Ole Miss. He carried the ball 17 times for 76 yards and a touchdown, keeping the Tigers in positive down and distance all day.
He doesn't do anything flashy. He just gets the job done.
Goodwin is still coming back from injury and was effective in limited reps. He'll continue to be involved. But to me it's really not a question of who the most trusted back is anymore. It's Williams, and it'll likely continue to be.
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JOE FOUCHA HAD HIS MOMENT
We had to wait a while to see transfer Joe Foucha get on the field, but it's easy to see why Brian Kelly was so glad to add him to the Tigers' roster.
He was a key piece of a Tigers defense that got hit hard early with back-to-back touchdown drives from Ole Miss. The Tigers were down 17-3 early in the second quarter, but from that point on they put the clamps on.
The Tigers outscored the Rebels 42-3 from there. Foucha was a big part of that. He looked to have taken down Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart short of the line to gain on a 4th down, but the first down was granted and (for seemingly the first time ever) it wasn't reviewed.
The drive continued, and it looked like Ole Miss might finish it off in the end zone. But Foucha struck again after Micah Baskerville's rush got home and forced an errant throw. Foucha reached out and snared the ball with one hand and swung momentum squarely back in the Tigers' direction. Foucha finished with 5 tackles and an impact play.
The defensive line also took over late to nail down this win. BJ Ojulari and Mekhi Wingo broke through for a sack on 4th and 8 midway through the 4h quarter. It was one of just two sacks on the day, but the 7 QB hits are more telling.
This Tigers team isn't deep. It needs contributions early and often from veterans, many of whom are transfers. It got that today in the biggest win, so far, in the Brian Kelly era.
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LAGNIAPPE
Finally, a game without a special teams debacle. Noah Cain took over on kick returns. Greg Clayton Jr. took over on punt team. There were no big moments, positive or negative. That's a massive positive. ... The first play of the 2nd quarter was an Ole Miss field goal to go ahead 17-3. From that point the Tigers went on a 42-3 scoring run to go ahead 38-20 early in the 4th quarter. ... Jayden Daniels has now accounted for 21 TDs and just one turnover on the season. ... Brian Kelly talked excitedly about Mason Taylor prior to the season, and we got a good picture of that in this one. His big moment came on a 38-yard catch-and-run, and he also had the first TD of his career on a third-and-short as the Tigers took control of the game. ... Brian Kelly has been vocal about how much he hates replay destroying the flow of college football games, it sure felt like some of the review decisions in this one were directed right at him, particularly a long review of a Jayden Daniels TD that looked pretty clear to everyone else who saw it.