JaMarcus Russell threw for a career-best 330 yards and matched a school record with 14 consecutive completions Saturday as No. 9 LSU beat Mississippi State 48-17 on Saturday in a game delayed nearly an hour by a thunderstorm.

Russell threw three touchdown passes and completed 18 of 20 passes without an interception.

LSU (4-1, 1-1 SEC) led 35-0 early in the second quarter, prompting thousands of fans to leave at halftime. A 52-minute delay while a thunderstorm rolled through further emptied the stands in the third quarter, when the score was 35-3.

Mississippi State (1-4, 0-3) gained 24 yards and managed one first down on its first five possessions. LSU’s first five series ended with touchdowns.

Two early scores were set up by long passes over the middle from Russell to Dwayne Bowe. The first went between three defenders for 25 yards, setting up a short touchdown toss to Craig Davis. Bowe’s 41-yard reception to the Bulldogs’ 6 led to Charles Scott’s TD run for a 14-0 lead.

On his third series, Russell found Early Doucet on a 37-yard scoring pass.

The 6-foot-6, nearly 260-pound quarterback wasn’t finished. Shedding tacklers as the pocket collapsed, Russell rolled out and threw a 55-yard pass that tight end Richard Dickson caught over his shoulder as he was tackled at the Bulldogs 2.

The play made Russell 7-of-8 for 202 yards and two touchdowns through the first quarter. Four seconds into the second period, Scott muscled his way in from the 1 for his second TD.

Russell hit Bowe in the back of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown before Mississippi State finally sustained a drive into scoring position. Blake McAdams’ 32-yard field goal made it 35-3 late in the first half.

The Bulldogs’ first touchdown came late in the third quarter on Derek Pegues’ 23-yard interception return after Matt Flynn had replaced Russell

With the score 35-10, LSU coach Les Miles went back to Russell, who led another scoring drive that ended with Jacob Hester’s 5-yard touchdown run.

Mississippi State scored again on a 46-yard pass from Omarr Conner to Tony Burks in the fourth quarter. Conner was 15-of-28 for 212 yards and was sacked three times.