Missouri @ Louisiana State preview

For the first time in nearly a dozen years, LSU will take the field without Les Miles on Saturday when the Tigers host Missouri in SEC action. LSU fired Miles as coach earlier this week following a heartbreaking loss to Auburn that dropped the team to 2-2 and sent it spiraling out of the Top 25.

LSU enters this weekend's clash looking to recover from an 18-13 defeat in which a final-play touchdown was overruled following replay, leading to the dismissal of Miles and the hiring of Ed Orgeron on an interim basis. "We're going to flip the script," said Orgeron, who was USC's interim coach in 2013, leading the Trojans to a 6-2 record. "We're going to do things different, we're going to do things that I've done in the past to re-energize this team." Missouri, meanwhile, is coming off the largest victory margin in school history - a 79-0 throttling of Delaware State in which Drew Lock threw five touchdown passes and the teams decided to shorten the second half to 10-minute quarters. "There's a lot of smiles out there," Missouri coach Barry Odom said. "I think we cleared the roster today and played everybody that is not a redshirt candidate at this time, so I was excited for those guys."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network. LINE: LSU -13

ABOUT MISSOURI (2-2, 0-1 SEC): The Tigers have scored 140 points in their two victories and are fourth in the nation in passing yards per game (391.3). Lock has 14 touchdowns against three interceptions and J'Mon Moore is his main target, racking up 26 receptions for 434 yards and six scores. Missouri has the SEC's top offense (569.5 yards per game), but will likely be up for a stiff test against the league's third-ranked defense (341.2).

ABOUT LSU (2-2, 1-1): Junior standout Leonard Fournette leads the SEC with 128.7 rushing yards per game and has topped 100 in all three games he has played this season. Still, the Tigers have scored a total of 27 points in their matchups against Wisconsin and Auburn - both defeats - and did not receive particularly good quarterback play in either contest. Danny Etling attempted 27 passes for only 118 yards against Auburn, another disappointment for a squad that returns 17 starters from last year and was expected to contend for a national championship before its disastrous September.

EXTRA POINTS

1. LSU is the last SEC team that Missouri has not faced since joining the league in 2012.

2. LSU has not lost an October game since 2009.

3. In four games, LSU has allowed a total of three first-quarter points.

PREDICTION: LSU 29, Missouri 27