LSU can't overcome Mettenberger's INTs, fall to No. 13 after loss to Ole Miss

Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze (left) meets LSU coach Les Miles (right) at the end of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013, in Oxford, MS. Mississippi won 27-24. (AP Photo/ The Daily Mississippian, Austin McAfee) (The Associated Press)

LSU receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) returns a kickoff during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013, in Oxford, MS. Mississippi won 27-24. (AP Photo/ The Daily Mississippian, Austin McAfee) (The Associated Press)

OXFORD, Miss. – LSU's Zach Mettenberger has been so good for so long that it was shocking to see his passes miss open receivers.

Even worse: Mississippi's defense was catching those balls instead.

The end result was Mettenberger's worst game of the season and a stunning 27-24 loss to Ole Miss on Saturday that seriously damaged any hope the Tigers (6-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) had of winning a league championship.

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound senior completed 19 of 33 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw three interceptions, including two in the end zone that killed potential scoring drives.

All three were thrown into tight Ole Miss coverage.

But LSU's defense did little to pick up Mettenberger on Saturday, giving up 525 total yards to Ole Miss.