NCAA Football Rankings, Week 6: LSU drops to No. 4 in latest AP Top 25 poll

The LSU Tigers' sloppy 38-22 victory over the FCS Towson Tigers allowed the Florida State Seminoles to jump LSU in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Towson vs. LSU: Fans dissatisfied with (relatively) narrow win

No. 3 LSU bested Towson without too much issue on Saturday, but they didn't blow them out of the water like most fans expected.

LSU vs. Towson final: Tigers win 36-22

The No. 3 LSU Tigers faced a surprising upset bid from the FCS Towson Tigers, but dominated the second half and pulled away to a 38-22 victory. The win was boosted by behind a balanced passing and rushing attack featuring quarterback Zach Mettenberger and running back Michael Ford.

Towson took a 9-7 lead late in the second quarter, as running back Terrance West scampered in for a one-yard touchdown. The score capped a short-field drive set up by a Mettenberger sack and fumble at the Towson 41-yard line.

The LSU Tigers replied to the deficit by scoring 10 unanswered points in the final five minutes of the first half, including a 27-yard touchdown pass from Mettenberger to Odell Beckham with 2:52 left in the period. LSU led 17-9 at the half.

The LSU Tigers continued their onslaught in the second half, outscoring Towson 21-13 to secure the win. The 22 points scored by Towson was the most LSU has given up all season.

Mettenberger finished the game 15-of-26 with 238 yards and two touchdowns. Beckham had five receptions for 128 yards for two touchdowns for the LSU Tigers. Russell Shepard led LSU in rushing with just a single carry - a 78 yard touchdown run - while Ford carried 11 times for 77 yards and a touchdown.

Box Score Hero: LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham had 5 receptions for 128 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Rankings Ramifications: The Tigers were ranked No. 3 coming in, and may be vulnerable to dropping down the polls, given an underwhelming performance against a significantly inferior opponent.

But Did They Cover?: LSU did not cover, as the Louisiana-based Tigers were favored by 42 over the Maryland-based Tigers.

Next Week's Schedule: LSU travels to Gainesville to face No. 11 Florida on Oct. 6, while Towson hits the road to James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va. on Oct. 6.

This story was originally published on SB Nation.com.

Towson vs. LSU final score: LSU dominates second half in 38-22 win over Towson

The No. 3 LSU Tigers faced a surprising upset bid from the FCS Towson Tigers, but dominated the second half and pulled away to a 38-22 victory. The win was boosted by behind a balanced passing and rushing attack featuring quarterback Zach Mettenberger and running back Michael Ford.

Towson took a 9-7 lead late in the second quarter, as running back Terrance West scampered in for a one-yard touchdown. The score capped a short-field drive set up by a Mettenberger sack and fumble at the Towson 41-yard line.

The LSU Tigers replied to the deficit by scoring 10 unanswered points in the final five minutes of the first half, including a 27-yard touchdown pass from Mettenberger to Odell Beckham with 2:52 left in the period. LSU led 17-9 at the half.

The LSU Tigers continued their onslaught in the second half, outscoring Towson 21-13 to secure the win. The 22 points scored by Towson was the most LSU has given up all season.

Mettenberger finished the game 15-of-26 with 238 yards and two touchdowns. Beckham had five receptions for 128 yards for two touchdowns for the LSU Tigers. Russell Shepard led LSU in rushing with just a single carry - a 78 yard touchdown run - while Ford carried 11 times for 77 yards and a touchdown.

Box Score Hero: LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham had 5 receptions for 128 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Rankings Ramifications: The Tigers were ranked No. 3 coming in, and may be vulnerable to dropping down the polls, given an underwhelming performance against a significantly inferior opponent.

But Did They Cover?: LSU did not cover, as the Louisiana-based Tigers were favored by 42 over the Maryland-based Tigers.

Next Week's Schedule: LSU travels to Gainesville to face No. 11 Florida on Oct. 6, while Towson hits the road to James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va. on Oct. 6.

This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.

LSU vs. Towson halftime score: Bayou Bengals lead 17-9

The LSU Tigers are in a tougher than expected matchup, as they only lead the Towson Tigers 17-9 at the half. LSU has struggled in the first half, as its offense has turned the ball over twice and is 0-for-6 on third down attempts. Towson actually led, 9-7, late in the second quarter, but LSU scored 10 points in the final 5 minutes of the half.

LSU was aided by a poor punt attempt by Towson which gave them the ball deep in Towson territory, and LSU drove to the Towson 5-yard line and settled for a field goal.

LSU could have a larger lead if not for a missed field goal, as well as the rain that has caused some issues for them moving the ball down the field. Their offense has struggled all night, and the only reason their rushing yards look reasonable is because of a Russell Shepard 78-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter. Take that run away and LSU has only 38 rushing yards, and quarterback Zach Mettenberger is only 8-of-16 for 91 yards.

SB Nation United has invaded the LSU tailgate

@bankoff @papiblez @pbatbon I've deployed the SBN United platform at our Tailgate. twitter.com/valleyshook/st…

— Pod Katt (@valleyshook) September 29, 2012

Towson vs. LSU 2012: TV schedule, game time, spread and more

Sophomore tailback Kenny Hilliard and the LSU Tigers will play host to Towson on Saturday in Baton Rouge.