Behind Enemy Lines: LSU
Entering the 2018 season, many viewed the Tigers as the ultimate wild card in the SEC. Now that they are off to a 3-0 start and up to #6 in the nation, have the expectations risen to the point where there is a belief that this team can win a SEC Championship and maybe even a National Championship?
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow entered the season with far more lofty expectations than skepticism. And Saturday’s comeback at No. 7 Auburn won over a lot of remaining critics. I remain hesitant about any quarterback completing less than 50 percent of his passes, but have to give credit where credit is due. Burrow carries all the leadership and confidence intangibles a good quarterback needs. The team is behind him. He has not turned the ball over or put the Tigers in particularly precarious situations. He cut his average time before throwing down almost half a second from Week 2 to Week 3. And he came up with three big-time throws in critical moments to lead LSU back to victory in hostile territory. That performance just needs to be more of another stepping stone — and not the ceiling.
The Tigers offensive line has had its struggles throughout the first three games, how much of this is due to injuries? How big of a concern is this entering the matchup with Louisiana Tech?
LSU lost maybe its most NFL-ready offensive lineman, sophomore guard Ed Ingram, to an indefinite suspension as fall camp began. Then, junior right tackle Adrian Magee suffered an injury in the season opener, starting left tackle Saahdiq Charles was suspended in Week 2 and starting left guard Garrett Brumfield missed time extended time at Auburn. The offensive line — particularly at right tackle — was my biggest question mark for this team even before all that, and the injuries have certainly not helped, from talent, depth or chemistry standpoints. But the Tigers were much improved up front this past week, allowing just one sack to a star-studded Auburn front seven, and optimistic that trend will continue. Some of that upswing was because of a little more lineup stability. Some was the players cleaning up miscues. Some was Joe Burrow showing a quicker release. And some was mixing up play-calling more effectively between more pass protection and more passing options. It will be interesting to see if that group can carry some of that consistency into Saturday against Jay Ferguson and company.
K’Lavon Chaisson going down for the Tigers was a huge blow to the defense. What has Dave Aranda done to combat that loss?
Fortunately for LSU, its defense was already not only strong, but also deep. The Tigers don’t have another outside linebacker of K’Lavon Chaisson’s caliber do plug and play and still be the same type of force off the edge, but other players such as Ray Thornton and Andre Anthony are no slouches. Additionally, deep, talented defensive line with players across the board capable of winning one-on-one battles helps start the penetration up front, and Dave Aranda and company have use sophomore safety Grant Delpit all over the field — including a lot of time in the box and blitzing.
What are they keys to victory for LSU on Saturday night?
From a matchups standpoint, as you mentioned, LSU will certainly need its offensive line to do its job again Saturday to allow Joe Burrow and the skill position guys opportunities to make some plays. And I’m interested to see how the battle on the other side of the ball, where the secondary will be without a player or two against a high-powered Louisiana Tech attack. The defensive front needs to be aggressive, but disciplined in pursuit of J’Mar Smith to assist its defensive backs. From a game situations standpoint, the Tigers need to end Bulldogs’ drives on third down when possible, extend some drives of their own, continue to win field position and continue to take care of the football. LSU tied the NCAA record with just eight turnovers in 2017 and is the only remaining FBS team in the country without a giveaway this season. One ill-advised throw Amik Robertson’s way has the potential to flip all of that on its head, though.
That potential certainly took a notable leap Saturday afternoon when kicker Cole Tracy’s field goal sailed through the Jordan-Hare uprights. Ultimately, the meat of the schedule still resides in the four-game stretch of Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State and then, of course, Alabama. The Crimson Tide’s prowess is the biggest knock against LSU’s own championship hopes at the moment. But after knocking off a second top-10 opponent in three weeks, the young Tigers have a rock-solid case for the nation’s strongest resume to date and a growing confidence — all despite still not even having played particularly well consistently — that has the odds at least beginning to rise.
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow entered the season with far more lofty expectations than skepticism. And Saturday’s comeback at No. 7 Auburn won over a lot of remaining critics. I remain hesitant about any quarterback completing less than 50 percent of his passes, but have to give credit where credit is due. Burrow carries all the leadership and confidence intangibles a good quarterback needs. The team is behind him. He has not turned the ball over or put the Tigers in particularly precarious situations. He cut his average time before throwing down almost half a second from Week 2 to Week 3. And he came up with three big-time throws in critical moments to lead LSU back to victory in hostile territory. That performance just needs to be more of another stepping stone — and not the ceiling.
The Tigers offensive line has had its struggles throughout the first three games, how much of this is due to injuries? How big of a concern is this entering the matchup with Louisiana Tech?
LSU lost maybe its most NFL-ready offensive lineman, sophomore guard Ed Ingram, to an indefinite suspension as fall camp began. Then, junior right tackle Adrian Magee suffered an injury in the season opener, starting left tackle Saahdiq Charles was suspended in Week 2 and starting left guard Garrett Brumfield missed time extended time at Auburn. The offensive line — particularly at right tackle — was my biggest question mark for this team even before all that, and the injuries have certainly not helped, from talent, depth or chemistry standpoints. But the Tigers were much improved up front this past week, allowing just one sack to a star-studded Auburn front seven, and optimistic that trend will continue. Some of that upswing was because of a little more lineup stability. Some was the players cleaning up miscues. Some was Joe Burrow showing a quicker release. And some was mixing up play-calling more effectively between more pass protection and more passing options. It will be interesting to see if that group can carry some of that consistency into Saturday against Jay Ferguson and company.
K’Lavon Chaisson going down for the Tigers was a huge blow to the defense. What has Dave Aranda done to combat that loss?
Fortunately for LSU, its defense was already not only strong, but also deep. The Tigers don’t have another outside linebacker of K’Lavon Chaisson’s caliber do plug and play and still be the same type of force off the edge, but other players such as Ray Thornton and Andre Anthony are no slouches. Additionally, deep, talented defensive line with players across the board capable of winning one-on-one battles helps start the penetration up front, and Dave Aranda and company have use sophomore safety Grant Delpit all over the field — including a lot of time in the box and blitzing.
What are they keys to victory for LSU on Saturday night?
From a matchups standpoint, as you mentioned, LSU will certainly need its offensive line to do its job again Saturday to allow Joe Burrow and the skill position guys opportunities to make some plays. And I’m interested to see how the battle on the other side of the ball, where the secondary will be without a player or two against a high-powered Louisiana Tech attack. The defensive front needs to be aggressive, but disciplined in pursuit of J’Mar Smith to assist its defensive backs. From a game situations standpoint, the Tigers need to end Bulldogs’ drives on third down when possible, extend some drives of their own, continue to win field position and continue to take care of the football. LSU tied the NCAA record with just eight turnovers in 2017 and is the only remaining FBS team in the country without a giveaway this season. One ill-advised throw Amik Robertson’s way has the potential to flip all of that on its head, though.