Ed Orgeron made it clear LSU football isn't looking past Central Michigan on Saturday, a team led by a former SEC mainstay in Jim McElwain.
But regardless of the approach, a matchup with the Chippewas represents the final tune-up opportunity for the Tigers ahead of the start of Southeastern Conference play.
With that in mind here are the top 5 things I'm watching for as LSU and Central Michigan kick off under the lights Saturday in Death Valley.
THE GAME
Central Michigan (1-1) at LSU (1-1)
Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge
When: 6:30 p.m.
TV: SECN
Listen: WWL AM-870; FM 105.3
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1. DOES TIGER STADIUM GET HOT?
First things first, it's been a while since a full-capacity crowd really got into things at Tiger Stadium. With disappointing results and a capacity limit of 25,000 in 2020, it's been more than a full year since any truly thunderous crowds impacted an LSU football game.
That's sure to come later this season when the Tigers get into SEC play, but will a former SEC face help draw that energy a bit early? If McElwain's name sounds familiar, the former Florida Gators coach has been part of his share of rivalry conference games.
Does the crowd remember? The noise on Saturday will be a good indicator.
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2. CAN SOMEONE STEP UP AT RB?
As Ed Orgeron puts it, John Emery is unavailable. That's not expected to change.
There's no longer the benefit of being able to say: Once John Emery returns, maybe the group improves. The group that's on the field has to be that group.
Well, that's actually not entirely true. Armoni Goodwin, who snapped off a 21-yard run in the win over McNeese, won't be active this week. Orgeron said he's hopeful to return for the SEC opener.
But Goodwin's fellow running backs struggled to break off big gains against what should've been an overmatched Cowboys defensive front. Both freshman Corey Kiner and junior Ty Davis-Price and runs of 20-plus yards of their own. But outside of those three touches, LSU's running backs combined for just 70 yards on the other 23 rushing attempts in the game (just over 3 yards per carry).
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LSU's coach mentioned Kiner as a name that could see additional carries. Can he take command of the backfield? Will Davis-Price assert himself as the veteran in the group? How about sophomore Josh Williams or freshman Tre Bradford?
Something's gotta give, otherwise it could be another difficult run into SEC play, too.
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3. WARP SPEED?
LSU football has stepped on the gas, or at least they're starting to. Orgeron said this week his team has been working on a more up-tempo attack to use when it's advantageous, and it's likely something that will be broken out on Saturday.
It didn't sound like it'd be employed on more than a handful of series, but it could be a key that helps to unlock some of the efficiency hidden from Max Johnson's offense so far. Much like the run game, the offense as a whole didn't seem to overpower the FCS-level Cowboys last week. That doesn't bode well for a team that has an annual matchup with Alabama.
Orgeron said he hopes to build upon the up-tempo schemes as the season progresses. That also would assume they're actually productive. With Johnson's mobility and a cupboard stocked with elite WR talent, there's no reason to think it'd fail in that goal. Is it a lesson imparted by the notoriously up-tempo Chip Kelly and UCLA? Who knows. The bigger question: Can this LSU offense handle it?
We'll get our first look this week. Keep an eye on that play clock (or listen for out-of-breath announcers).
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4. SPEAKING OF UCLA
Sorry, LSU isn't allowed to forget about the loss to UCLA ... so neither will I.
It was a game that featured a lot of LSU defenders chasing UCLA downfield with big gain after big gain. The Tigers didn't handle crossing routes well. They were outflanked to the edges. They were out of position. They looked confused.
In other words, the exact issues Orgeron said his team had worked all offseason on fixing. They were still there.
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It was a difficult matchup for the first game of a season, and the Tigers certainly looked more composed against a more straightforward McNeese attack. With this Central Michigan squad, expect things to open back up.
Orgeron said this week he's sure the former Gators coach has studied the tape from LSU's opener, and his offense is equipped to do a lot of the same things. The Tigers will see frequent shits, motions and exotic formations designed to influence defenders out of position. The Chippewas know what questions to ask, it's up to LSU to prove they really do know the answers.
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5. LOOK OUT FOR LEW
The name Zach Charbonnet still might haunt LSU fans' thoughts after what he did in the opener (we don't need the exact numbers). He was a bruising back that understood how to break tackles and get downhill in a hurry.
While Central Michigan freshman Lew Nichols III might not be quite the threat of the Bruins' big-play back, he packs a wallop at 5-10, 220 pounds and presents a similar challenge. As Orgeron pointed out, linebackers first need to find their gap and play it well, but they also need to make tackles and drive people back.
In two games Nichols has carried the ball 36 times for 214 yards (5.9 YPC). What's even more impressive is 135 of those yards came in the season-opener against Missouri on just 19 carries, and with a long run of just 28 yards. Six of those carries went for first downs. It's difficult to get off the field when a power back is constantly falling forward for two or three extra yards on first or second down. It'll be another area the Tigers defense can demonstrate improvement.
Oh, and Lew also completed a 28-yard pass in the Chippewas' win last week. Fair warning.
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Follow Jeff Nowak on Twitter @Jeff_Nowak or contact him by email at jeffrey.nowak@audacy.com