In what feels like a must win for both teams, the #13 LSU Tigers (4-1, 1-0) take on the #9 Ole Miss Rebels (5-1, 1-1) in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night. The winner of this game could take a big step in the right direction when it comes to competing for a SEC title and a College Football Playoff berth.
Celebrating 100 years of Tiger Stadium in its first SEC game of the year against a bitter rival, head coach Brian Kelly is excited for what the atmosphere is going to be like on Saturday night at 6:45 P.M.
“What I’m excited about, and what our players are excited about, is an SEC game in Tiger Stadium. The energy, the excitement – not that the other games weren’t exciting – but this is different. It all rises to a new level.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on playing in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night
The Tigers are coming off a bye week after defeating South Alabama 42-10 the week prior. This is the first of two bye weeks for LSU and for this one, the team used it as a coaching opportunity to continue to get better in all areas of the game.
“We got a chance to really work on a number of things that needed improvement within our team. Early in the season, it wasn’t really as much of a recovery week for us as much as it was shoring up some things offensively, defensively, and on special teams.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on what the team did during its bye week
In terms of rest, the Tigers have a big advantage over the Rebels as LSU will be well rested while Ole Miss will be coming off their sixth straight game and second straight SEC contest.
Injury Report:
Despite the week of rest, LSU could be thin at the receiver position. It was confirmed that Kyle Parker will be out for the season because of a torn tricep tendon. There are other injuries to monitor for LSU’s pass catchers as CJ Daniels and Chris Hilton Jr. are both ruled doubtful. It has been a struggle for LSU to get the speedy Hilton back on the field as he continues to deal with an ankle injury that has lingered since August.
“This is the first year that he’s been a missing piece. It’s been a complicated injury. Chris has done everything to get back as quickly as possible. This has been an injury that we’ve done scans and we’ve done MRI’s. The healing has just been slow.”
“If he had the proper healing and was ready to go, he’s put in the time and he has the want to to be out there. I want to be clear that everyone should understand that if Chris is able to be out there, he would be out there. This has just been one of those unusual injuries that has taken so much longer to heal than normal. We’re going to get him back out there, and when he does, I’m certain that he’s going to be a welcomed addition to our offense.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on Chris Hilton’s status
With Daniels also a question mark because of a knee injury, it will allow other receivers to showcase how deep the core is. Aaron Anderson leads the Tigers with 27 grabs for 371 yards and two touchdowns. Kyren Lacy leads the offense in touchdown catches with five to add to 25 catches for 352 yards. Mason Taylor is the program’s all-time tight end leader in catches and yards, but due to the injuries, Brian Kelly mentioned that 6’6 tight ends Ka’Morreun Pimpton and Trey’Dez Green could factor in for some targets as well as freshman Jelani Watkins and former five star Shelton Sampson.
Speaking of young freshmen emerging, Caden Durham, who is listed as probable for Saturday, has become a huge playmaker for the Tigers’ offense with 244 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground plus six grabs for 130 yards and two more touchdowns to begin his promising LSU career.
The Tigers’ electric running back will be good to go for Saturday, which is a promising sign for the Tigers. However, it is not only the Tigers that caught the injury bug, but the Rebels also are banged up heading into this pivotal matchup.
Ole Miss’ top wide receiver Tre Harris is listed probable for Saturday’s game, but it will not be clear until kickoff to see how much of an impact the former Comeaux High School product will have on the matchup, but it is clear how big of a piece he is to the Rebels’ passing attack. Harris leads the SEC with 885 yards receiving on 52 catches and five touchdowns. With 64 targets, the next closest receiver to him is Juice Wells with 30. If he does not go, it will be interesting which Ole Miss receiver will step up as the first option for Jaxson Dart.
“We don’t really get into much detail on that. He didn’t finish the first half and wasn’t close to going back in the second half. He certainly wouldn’t be playing today, so we have to get the other guys ready and we have to perform better than we did in the second half when we scored three points – now, we only threw one pass in the fourth quarter. That makes us move people in different spots when he’s out, so we’re preparing to do that and preparing to play without him.”
Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin on Tre Harris’ status
On the defensive side of the football, two of Ole Miss’ top linemen are questionable as well in Princely Umanmielen and JJ Pegues, who also scored two goal line touchdowns in the Rebels’ 27-3 win over South Carolina last week.
QB Dual in Baton Rouge:
Two of the best quarterbacks in the SEC will go head to head on Saturday night in LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart. Last year, this game combined to have 104 points with Ole Miss winning 55-49 in Oxford.
This year, it could set up once again for both quarterbacks to have success despite missing some weapons. Dart was able to outduel Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels last season and now will take on Nussmeier, who is playing at a high level for the Tigers.
The first year full time starter has completed close to 70% of his passes for 1,652 yards and 15 touchdowns to four interceptions. His 15 touchdown passes leads the Southeastern Conference.
Meanwhile, Dart leads the conference in passing yards with 2,100 yards along with 13 touchdowns.
With Nussmeier averaging 350 yards passing and Dart averaging 330 through the air, expect both passing offenses to have plenty of big explosive plays.
“Both these players are incredible competitors. When you separate the really elite players across the country, their games rise when it’s called upon. They play their best when their best is needed. Both of these players, regardless of arm strength or 40 time, both of them are born to be quarterbacks. They have skillsets that allow them to run the offense that they’re directing.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on Garrett Nussmeier and Jaxson Dart
Which defense will force more negative plays?
Last year, LSU’s defense did not have an answer for Ole Miss’ offense as the Rebels put up 55 points and over 700 yards of offense. With Brian Kelly overhauling the entire defensive coaching staff by hiring Blake Baker over the offseason, the Tigers’ defense has done a better job of forcing turnovers and getting stops at a more consistent level.
One advantage that the Tigers defense may have is their pass rush as the Ole Miss Rebels have given up 10 sacks this season. The defensive end duo of Bradyn Swinson and Saivion Jones have proven to be a great duo for Coach Baker with the two combining for 9.5 sacks, 11.5 TFLs, and four forced fumbles while Whit Weeks and Greg Penn man the defense by combining for 79 tackles so far this season.
Baker’s toughest challenge to this point as a defensive coordinator will against a Rebels’ offense that has averaged 44 points per game.
How LSU fairs against an explosive, but yet balanced Ole Miss offense could ultimately decide who comes out on top at the end of Saturday night.
“They do such a great job for having answer for virtually everything you do. We have to mix it up. You can’t play a lot of soft coverages or else, they just exploit you on the perimeter with quick game and run after the catch. The challenges within this offense that we face are perimeter throws, tackling in space, a lot of the things that we did poorly last year, we will have to do better this year.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly on the challenges Ole Miss brings offensively
As prolific as their offense has been, this has also been arguably the best defense that Lane Kiffin has been a part of. Currently, the Rebels rank number one nationally in run defense, yards per carry, sacks and quarterback pressures. Also, their 10.5 tackles for loss per game is the most by any college football team over the last 10 years.
The Rebels’ defensive front will be playing against a LSU offensive line that has done an incredible job of keeping Garrett Nussmeier’s jersey clean this season. Something also has to give in the trenches.
“It’s a team that is prolific offensively and playing great defense right now. We have a great challenge in front of us. We’re excited about it. We know where we’re at in terms of the next seven weeks we have SEC opponents.”
LSU HC Brian Kelly
Keys To The Game For LSU:
1. Make Ole Miss one dimensional.
2. Control the time of possession. Keep Ole Miss offense off the field.
3. Put pressure on Jaxson Dart.
4. Start game fast. Get crowd involved early.
Final Score Prediction: LSU 34, Ole Miss 31
The 116th meeting between these two rivals and the 100th in Tiger Stadium will be a special game. With that being said, it is just something about playing at Death Valley that makes it tough for any opposing team. I do think Ole Miss is the better team than LSU, but I like where LSU is at right now coming off the bye week and at home in what will be an incredible atmosphere. Brian Kelly has a 20-3 overall record in regular season games after a bye week and Ole Miss has had trouble winning in Death Valley with seven straight wins by LSU at Tiger Stadium while Lane Kiffin is also 0-4 against ranked teams on the road. LSU’s offense will lean on a ball control style that will keep the Ole Miss defense on its heels and can also keep the Ole Miss offense off the field. LSU slightly makes more plays than Ole Miss to get a win in what could be an instant classic.
Brian Kelly Press Conference:
LSU Player Interviews:
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