Week 1 didn't go as planned for Brian Kelly and the LSU fighting Tigers, but we don't need to go into great detail about the loss to Florida State at this juncture.
The Tigers have a chance to right some wrongs and, more importantly, get right this weekend when they host Southern in a showdown of Baton Rouge universities.
Here are a couple of things that stand out to me about the matchup:
BAD BLOCKING
The offensive line really struggled to protect QB Jayden Daniels last week. This will be their chance to push around what should be an overmatched front of the Jaguars. If Southern is able to generate a consistent pass rush, there is big trouble ahead for LSU. It will only get worse in conference play.
NOT SO SPECIAL TEAMS
LSU committed four ugly special teams blunders last week. Good teams might make four mistakes that impactful in an entire season.
Nevertheless, the Bayou Bengals are on the prowl for a return specialist after WR Malik Nabers muffed two punts last week. I expect Brian Kelly to audition a few new players in that role against Southern.
I’M BETTING AGAINST THE TIGERS
Calm down, it’s only because I don’t believe LSU can manage to cover the 48-point spread they’re looking at, even against an overmatched SWAC school. In other words, for those that are new to sports gambling, to win even money betting on LSU’s side, they’ll have to outscore the Jaguars by at least 48. That's a massive spread to cover for any team, let alone one that just lost to a Seminoles squad that isn’t exactly a powerhouse in the ACC. A wise handicapper once told me: Make money off double-digit road underdogs. LSU will make me some coin by not covering that spread.
CAN SOMEONE ELSE STEP UP?
Jayden Daniels accounted for 93% of the Tigers offense in Week 1. That’s just not sustainable. The quarterback needs some help. Who's going to emerge in the run game? Can the Tigers get WR Kayshon Boutte more involved? Will Boutte be more engaged in his own right? He sure looked disinterested last Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.
BK’S NO. 1?
Coach Brian Kelly needs a convincing win to quiet the wolves howling at the gate. Earlier I wrote that I am betting against LSU to cover 48 points. The Tigers don't need to win by 48 for a convincing win. But an LSU win by fewer than four TDs would feel like a red flag. Coach Kelly is not known for his patience, and neither is the purple and gold fan base. If Southern makes a game of this, expect the fanbase to turn up the heat on the head coach. And in defense of the fans already growling after one game, they have every right to do so. BK signed a 10-year $100 million contract at LSU. Right now he’s got zero wins to show for it, and he can definitely take the heat.
Lagniappe: Southern beat Florida Memorial University last week 86-0. Florida memorial sounds more like a funeral home than a college. Nonetheless, Southern beat them like a drum. The Jaguars scored 42 points in the first quarter! The game was over well before halftime. I'm sure it's happened before, but gosh, I don't ever recall looking at box score and seeing 42 points from one team in one quarter. I don't care who you are playing, that's dominant!
