The LSU Tigers were able to get enough done against Louisiana Tech to get the job done, but it certainly did not pass the eye test for a lot of Tiger fans winning by a final score of 23-7. With a lackluster performance from the offense combined with a couple of key injuries, this is not exactly a win that fans are going to be celebrating about. The good news is that LSU is 2-0 for the first time since 2019 and the expectations are still high for the Tigers to accomplish a lot of big things this season. Before flipping over to the next chapter and focus on the Florida Gators, here are five of my takeaways from this past Saturday.
- The Defense Is Here To Stay:
Brian Kelly’s motto for the team this year is to go 1-0 and that is to do this every single week. The Tigers’ defense definitely bought into that motto and did not let the Clemson hype get to them after an outstanding Week 1 performance. If there was one reason to be really excited coming out of the Louisiana Tech game, it’s because this defense is not a one hit wonder. Against Louisiana Tech, the Tigers made sure that the Bulldogs would never threaten in the game despite their defense playing well against the Tigers’ offense. Besides one busted coverage for a touchdown, the Bulldogs could not get anything going. LSU’s defensive front only allowed 58 yards on the ground for the whole game and forced nine punts out of Louisiana Tech’s 10 total punts. Last week, I talked about how much speed there is on each level of the defense and it showed once again. What was most impressive about this week was not any of the numbers or stats, but it was the defense’s focus. They treated Louisiana Tech like any other opponent, which comes to show what veteran leadership overall means to a unit even though those veterans may come from the transfer portal. Being sharp and focused against Tech means that this defense is here to stay, which will certainly keep them in every game this season.
2. Don’t Forget About West Weeks:
There is a lot being said about the Tigers’ star linebackers Harold Perkins Jr. and Whit Weeks and deservingly so as they are All-American players, but somebody in that group that has really grown and emerged in the middle of the defense is none other than Whit’s brother West Weeks. West arguably had the best performance of his LSU career leading the team with 10 tackles, a TFL, and even shared a sack with his brother Whit, which was a really cool moment for the brothers. While Whit is energetic and boastful, West is stoic and calm. His workmanlike personality keeps him under the radar, but don’t let that fool you as he is a crucial piece that makes up arguably the best linebacker trio in the country.
“He’s a really good player. He’s smart. He’s accountable. He’s a really good leader. I think it’s really well known how we feel about him or he wouldn’t be starting for us.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on West Weeks
3. Garrett Nussmeier Was Not At His Sharpest:
It happens to the best of them, but Garrett Nussmeier had one of his worst performances on Saturday as a Tiger. As one of the best quarterbacks in college football, Nussmeier has consistently shown to perform at a high level, but every now and then, players just have off games. This was one for Nussmeier. It all started at the very beginning of the game when Nussmeier had a wide open Barion Brown, but under threw him. That under throw proved to be costly as Louisiana Tech was able to get an interception and it may have thrown the Tigers’ gunslinger off the rest of the way. He did end up completing 26 of 41 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown, but Brian Kelly even admitted that it was not Nussmeier’s sharpest performance.
“I think there’s some things that he would wish that he had done better. Obviously, making good decisions relative to whether you can leave the pocket and pick up some yardage.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on Garrett Nussmeier
The Tigers’ offensive struggles were not solely on Nussmeier as there were some plays that could have been caught by receivers including Aaron Anderson and Kyle Parker, who both dropped touchdowns, and Barion Brown, who had an opportunity to make a big catch deep down the field in the second half. Nussmeier was also pressured heavily getting sacked multiple times. One play that he clearly missed though was that he had the opportunity to tuck the ball and run for a big gain, but instead tried to throw the ball deep in the end zone for what was a really difficult throw to make. If your starting quarterback does not have their best stuff, it might as well be against an opponent that you can beat like Louisiana Tech. What a lot of people don’t remember is that Joe Burrow also struggled against Louisiana Tech back in 2018 as he was only 16 of 28 for 191 yards in a 38-21 win the last time these two teams played and you know what kind of player Burrow turned out after that.
4. Outside of Garrett Nussmeier, Braelin Moore Is The Most Valuable Player To This LSU Offense:
As mentioned earlier, the struggles were not solely on Nussmeier Saturday as the running game struggled to generate any push on Saturday. Although the Tigers ran for 128 yards on the ground, 91 of those rushing yards came on two long running plays by Harlem Berry and Zavion Thomas. For the other 32 rushing attempts, the Tigers only gained 37 yards on the ground. The Tigers suffered two big blows on Saturday with one being mismatch tight end Trey’Dez Green with a sprained MCL and on the first play of the game, center Braelin Moore sprains his ankle and misses the rest of the game. Moore was the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week and paved a running attack that averaged close to four yards per carry against a great Clemson defensive front. Besides Nussmeier, losing a player like Braelin Moore is a huge blow to this defense because not only is he the team’s best lineman, but his presence is a calming factor and trickles down to making this a better overall group. Not having the most impressive game against Louisiana Tech is one thing, but potentially losing two of your most crucial offensive players like Moore and Green is another. The good news is that the results were pretty positive for those two players. Brian Kelly has listed both players as questionable and that they are both going to be looked at day by day. Getting Braelin Moore healthy make a big difference for this entire offensive line.
5. Barion Brown Shows Why He Is A Highly Regarded Playmaker:
Kentucky speedster transfer Barion Brown was one of the few bright spots offensively on Saturday night. He may have been the biggest bright spot as he got the game ball from head coach Brian Kelly. After setting all kinds of kick return records at Kentucky, Brown came to LSU in order to polish his ability as a wide receiver. He finished as the game’s leading receiver with eight catches for 94 yards and added a 42 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. What keeps you excited is that LSU has the ability to make big plays with guys like Brown, Aaron Anderson, Zavion Thomas, Chris Hilton Jr., and Nic Anderson downfield. Brown had a chance to add to those numbers if a pass wasn’t under thrown by Nussmeier. With more time and more reps, expect #6 to make a lot of big plays in this Tigers’ offense.
Check out the entire LSU/Louisiana Tech photo gallery taken by Billy Metcalf!
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