By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – LSU is unbeaten after three games, ranked No. 3 nationally, and very few people believe it has the goods to get to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
The Tigers’ defense is ranked in the top 15 nationally in six stat categories.
The LSU offense is ranked 93rd or worse among the 134 FBS schools in five stat categories.
Heading into Saturday’s 6:45 p.m. non-conference game here against Southeastern Louisiana, the Tigers’ offensive ineptness is puzzling, and it’s the opposite of what the obvious reasons for the defense’s success would suggest.
Which makes, as crazy as it sounds, it necessary that LSU needs to cover the spread as a 39-½ point favorite vs. FCS member SLU (2-1) if the offense wants to be viewed favorably.
If LSU wants to gain any offensive confidence heading into six straight SEC opponents (four are ranked) in the next eight weeks, it has to start fast and finish faster vs. the Lions.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly, who erred on the side of conservative offensive playcalling while his defense intercepted five passes in last Saturday’s 20-10 SEC opening win over Florida in Tiger Stadium, seemed more optimistic about offensive improvement this week.
Kelly revealed in his Monday press conference that senior starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has been dealing with a torso injury. But on Thursday, Kelly had a more positive update.
“We had to limit a lot of things that we did the first three or four weeks (with Nussmeier),” Kelly said. “He’s finally coming to practice feeling good and getting into a good rhythm. This is his best week of practice.
“He’s excited to play because he feels so much better. And I don’t want to say, `Hey, he’s back to (being) Garrett Nussmeier but there were a lot of things that he couldn’t do that he had to adjust to.
“We want him to go and play the game at a level where he’s comfortable.”
While Nussmeier has been sacked just four times – more of a testament to him getting rid of passes quickly or his scrambles from the pocket – LSU’s all-new starting offensive line hasn’t consistently provided the run blocking required to establish enough of a running attack.
The Tigers are averaging 110.7 yards per game, 15th in the 16-team SEC and 116th nationally.
“We need to be technically sounder and everything that we do,” Kelly said of his offensive line, and that was our focus this week (in practice).
“We have a lot of players that don’t have a ton of experience. We’re really making sure that the technique that they need to use on Saturday is present during the week. We were being really demanding that’s what they pay attention to. I thought they did a great job this week of really paying attention to the details associated with playing with the offensive line.”
Nussmeier hasn’t spread the wealth to eight to 10 receivers this season like he did in almost every game last season.
For instance, senior wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr., who ended last season on a tear after finally healing injuries that kept him out most of the year, has 1 catch (2 targets) for minus 1-yard so far this season.
After Southeastern was blanked 24-0 by Louisiana Tech, the Lions have rebounded with victories of 45-24 over Murray State and 56-3 over Mississippi Valley State.
SLU enters the LSU game averaging 33.7 points and 400 yards.
Quarterbacks Carson Camp (37- for-59, 3 TD, 2 INT) and Kyle Lowe (18-25, 3 TD, 1 INT) have split time at quarterback for the Lions. A total of 13 Lions have caught passes in the first three games.
“The opportunity to go play in Tiger Stadium is awesome,” SLU head coach Frank Scelfo said. “Are we doing it for the money (a $750,000 guarantee)? I know that. But at the same time, the chance for our guys being in that setting is good.”
GO FIGURE
0-33: Southeastern’s record vs. FBS teams since 2003.
0: Second-half points allowed by LSU’s defense in the second halves of the first three games.
5: Interceptions by LSU vs. Florida, the most since the Tigers’ five picks vs. Ole Miss in 2020.
17-1: LSU’s record in night home games under Brian Kelly.
27: Points allowed by LSU through three games are the fewest for LSU since giving up 24 over that span in 2014.
32: Straight wins by LSU over in-state colleges.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com