Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for the LSU football team, it gets very much worse.
The Tigers left Lexington with one of their worst defeats under head coach Ed Orgeron, 42-21 to the Kentucky Wildcats. The result will only create louder questions throughout Baton Rouge and nationally about Orgeron’s future with the program.
From the start the Tigers couldn’t get things going. A sack fumble ended the opening possession, followed by a turnover on downs on the next series. The offense was shutout in the first half, but did receive a spark from running back Ty Davis-Price to keep LSU within shouting distance the rest of the way.
While the Tigers finally found a running game, it was Kentucky running wild that was the true story of the night. The Wildcats rushed for 330 yards, the second most in a game since Orgeron took over the team. Kentucky QB Will Levis was efficient with the ball through the air, but did most his damage with his legs.
While there isn’t much for the Tigers to hang their hat on from Saturday night, there will be plenty of mistakes to look over come Monday. We’ll break down the highlights and lowlights of the ballgame below.
THE GOOD: Ty Davis-Price:
The Tigers have been searching for a running back to take the reins in the LSU backfield, and that’s just what TDP did on Saturday against the Wildcats. Davis-Price finished the game with 147 yards rushing and two touchdowns that helped keep the Tigers from truly getting annihilated on the scoreline. The junior running back showed why he was tabbed to be part of the backfield duo with John Emery to start the season, even with Emery ineligible thus far. He showed off that talent while breaking a couple long runs 12, 13, 14 and 30 yard gains.
In a game full of poor performances, it was ironic that the Tigers’ biggest all year finally seemed to turn around — only to get blown out as it happened.
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THE BAD: Offense & play calling
The Tigers struggled to get off the ground at Kroger Field, a situation made even more difficult by the hostile environment and sold-out stadium. The Tigers’ first seven drives ended with either a punt or turnover. Play calling was a point of emphasis from Orgeron this week, but the execution didn’t stack up.
Max Johnson didn’t appear as locked in as he was in LSU’s win over Mississippi State to open SEC play before a loss to Auburn, and it showed in the box score. The sophomore QB completed only 58% of his passes for 261 yards. I wouldn’t fault Max completely, but he did overthrow a few receivers and held the football too long throughout the night.
Another blow for the Tigers will likely be the loss of Kayshon Boutte. LSU’s leading WR hurt his ankle/foot in the 4th quarter making an acrobatic catch on the sideline. He was seen heading back to the locker room on a cart, and his status will be in question for next week’s matchup with Florida. This will be another obstacle first-year offensive coordinator Jake Peetz will have to overcome in the upcoming weeks.
THE UGLY: Rush Defense
While the defense did hold up their end on the scoreboard in the first half, the game was never really all that close. Kentucky’s running backs Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Kavosiey Smoke were able to pick up huge chunks of yardage on the Tigers front seven. Both backs finished over a hundred yards on the ground.
With the Tigers not being able to slow down the rushing attack, the Kentucky offense set up play action throughout the game and Levis found open receivers whenever he slung the ball downfield.
Missing Derek Stingley Jr. and Major Burns probably didn’t help the cause in slowing down the Wildcats offense, but Kentucky was able to score in three straight drives coming out of halftime.
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More ugly: the coaching
Coach O will have to refocus his team this week before they take on a talented Florida squad in Baton Rouge. But has the focus already been lost on this LSU team? The Tigers lost another key piece with the injury to Boutte, and that surely won’t help them continue to fight through a season that’s on the verge of being lost.
So far, the new hires of coordinators Jake Peetz and Daronte Jones haven’t paid off as most Tiger fans were expecting. Will the team continue to buy-in now that the team sits with a 3-3 record? Will another poor performance be the final nail for this coaching staff? Or will the coaches somehow find magic and pick-up their second SEC win next Saturday?
There’s a lot of tough questions that will be have to asked this upcoming week in Baton Rouge and most of them will go through the head coach himself.
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