LSU and Missouri don’t see each often, a mere three previous games.

But if LSU is suffering from a natural disaster, you can bet the Missouri Tigers won’t be far behind.

LSU’s first, last and only previous trip to the Columbia, Missouri, campus, in 2020, was unplanned, but a last-minute venue change forced upon the Tigers to escape Hurricane Delta’s arrival in the Bayou State the night before.

The only other game between the schools since Missouri joined the Southeastern Conference in 2012 was Ed Orgeron’s LSU head coaching debut as the midseason interim in 2016 after Les Miles was fired.

So it’s seems only fitting that Mizzou would be somewhere in LSU’s plans after the nightmare of a defensive disaster that was last week’s LSU-Ole Miss game.

Throw in a Missouri Liberty Bowl victory in 1978 against LSU and Mizzou leads the series 2-1.

But perhaps the Show-Me State Tigers can show the Bayou Bengals the way to reasonable defend.

The last effort — a 55-49 loss at Ole Miss — was the worst statistical defensive effort in LSU history by the time the Rebels rolled up an LSU school-record 706 yards of total offense.

It continued a trend for LSU that began in the season opener when Florida State rolled 494 yards in LSU’s other loss this season.

“Our guys will bounce back,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly insisted earlier in the week. “I’m confident of that. And we’ll have to, going on the road against a really good Missouri football team.”

They will need to.

No. 23 LSU is 3-2, 2-1 in the SEC, while No. 21 Missouri is surprisingly unbeaten at 5-0, 1-0 SEC, and has topped 500 yards total offense in its last two games.

LSU’s offense averages better than 500 a game and should be able to keep the game close with its quarterback, shifty Jayden Daniels, leading the SEC in passing (342 ypg) and total offense (401 ypg). The game will also feature three of the top four leading receivers in the SEC with LSU’s Malik Nabers (625) and Brian Thomas, Jr. (537), just behind Missouri’s Luther Burden (644).

But LSU’s leaky defense will have to slow down an efficient Missouri offense. Kelly brought in 83-year-old defensive line guru Pete Jenkins, who’s had three previous stops at LSU, to try and help the defensive front as an off-field analyst.

Maybe it was either that or burn the tape from the Ole Miss game.

“There’s probably moments when you say, ‘Let’s flush this,’ because it’s not going to happen again,” Kelly said. “But I think it’s important … to let’s really look at this and get it right.”

Without giving away any state secrets, Kelly hinted that there would be tweaks to that struggling defense, probably some personnel changes and possibly some different attacks.

“I’m confident,” he said, “our guys will play their best when their best is needed. From our perspective, we look to play a complete game from all three phases.”