As hostile as road venues have been to LSU, home has been like heaven.

The No. 22 Tigers (5-2, 2-2 SEC) recovered Saturday from an overtime loss at Kentucky with a 31-0 trouncing of Mississippi State at Tiger Stadium. All five of LSU’s victories have come at home — by a combined score of 225-44.

LSU is 29-4 against Mississippi State since the conference expanded in 1992, and the Tigers’ shutout marked their first in SEC play since a 45-0 win over the Bulldogs in 2007.

This game was never in doubt. Arguably, it was LSU’s game to lose from the moment it was announced Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor and lead running back Fluff Bothwell wouldn’t be available for the contest.

And the Tigers would not concede a much-needed, bounce-back win with their College Football Playoff chances hanging by a thread the rest of the season.

The No. 16 Bulldogs (4-2, 2-2) wouldn’t gain a yard on their first drive. They were forced to punt on fourth-and-11 after a stripped fumble and tackle for loss by Tigers edge rusher Jordan Ross. Mississippi State’s punt put the ball in LSU’s hands on its own 40.

Leavitt and Co. would easily cover that distance. Leavitt dished to running back Dilin Jones and Eugene Wilson on short passes, including a rollout to Leavitt’s right to hit Wilson just short of the end zone. The wideout pushed and shoved across the line.

On the ensuing drive, Mississippi State quarterback Parker Puckett, rushed by the Tigers defense, air-mailed a pass that was picked by safety Ty Benefield.

Backed up on the LSU 15, Leavitt continued picking apart the Bulldogs’ secondary, completing an 85-yard march on a 27-yard catch and run by Jackson Harris.

LSU would fumble away its third drive, but Leavitt picked up where he left off on the Tigers’ fourth possession. In the red zone, he found a wide-open Harris over the middle for a 17-yard touchdown to make it 21-0.

The Tigers would hold onto that lead thanks to a goal line stop by the defense with under two minutes left in the half, sacking Puckett on third-and-goal at the LSU 2 and holding Mississippi State’s receiver out of the end zone on a quick fourth-down pass.

At the break, Leavitt was 16-of-20 passing for 154 yards and three scores. Puckett completed 11 of 15 for 82 yards, but the Bulldogs had just 45 yards rushing on 21 carries.

LSU would play keep-away at the start of the third quarter, stringing together a 16-play, 74-yard field goal drive that consumed an astounding 8:10 of clock. Mississippi State wouldn’t touch the ball in the second half until the 6:45 mark of the third quarter, and that possession went down as the Bulldogs’ third straight turnover on downs.

The very next drive: LSU’s fifth offensive series of 60-plus yards, capped by a 6-yard touchdown throw from Leavitt to Malik Elzy to make it 31-0.

Leavitt finished 31-of-38 passing for 289 yards and four scores. Jones added 84 yards rushing on 14 carries.

Every positive was on the Tigers’ side of the ledger Saturday, aside from the injury count. LSU edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, who has eight sacks on the season, was knocked out early in this one by an apparent head injury.

During the first drive of the third quarter, Harris, who had six catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns, came up limping after an injury to his left leg. He jogged off to the locker room soon after.

LSU has just one more game to survive, a road trip to Auburn, before a Halloween weekend bye. There is a chance tight end Trey’Dez Green and, possibly, linebacker Whit Weeks could return on the other side of that break.

That will set up a home back-to-back against Alabama and Texas that could revive the Tigers’ playoff chances.