Hats off to our Tigers! LSU dealt a 41-14 thrashing to Mississippi State in Starkville. Where to begin??
First and most important, the Tigers played great for four whole quarters, and they’re is capable of this level of performance every week. Jayden Daniels went 30 for 34, 361 yards, 2 TDs, and 64 yards rushing – oh, and 2 more TD’s. Wow what a stat line. It didn’t stop there. Malek Nabors had 13 catches, 239 yards, 2 TDs and 18.4 yards per catch. What a stat line!
Daniels looks to be in complete control of the offense. I also believe Logan Diggs is emerging as our #1 running back. Our running back room is loaded. We finished the day with 39 attempts for 163 yards. Great balance to our attack: 37 passes and 39 runs – exactly what every coach wants to see.
While this was an incredible offensive game, this is what I expected to see from us this season. Our defensive play was the best I’ve seen under coach Kelly. If we are going to make a run, the defensive side of the ball is of paramount importance.
Mississippi State had only 107 yards passing and 94 yards rushing; 52 of the 94 came on one play. It’s difficult to highlight a few players when the entire unit played so well, so I’ll highlight a couple of notso- household names: first is Andre Sam. He played at McNeese, transferred to Marshall, and has now transferred to LSU. My sources tell me for the LSU defense to run its full scheme, Sam is an intricate piece to the puzzle. He is #14 on defense at the safety position. Let’s remember his name and look for him throughout the season. The Second name is Whit Weeks, the linebacker who had a tremendous game with 8 tackles. His speed was evident from the first series of the game. Weeks set the tone early and it lasted the entire day. The entire defense could be named here, but I wanted to point out two non-superstars who truly impacted the game.
I write this report to you after the game, sitting at my favorite bar. My mind is always clear to break down the game after a few cold ones. My fellow experts and I believe that the Tigers are poised to make a run, and the continued development of our defense will be a major factor. Arkansas is up next, and we should be able handle business here at home. The SEC is down this year, and I believe the remaining schedule sets up perfectly for us.
Have a great week, everyone!