Three Observations: LSU Football True Freshmen Step Up, Defense Bends but Doesn’t Break
Ed Orgeron said Saturday night's win over South Carolina was LSU's most complete performance to date. While it certainly had its fair share of imperfections, the Tigers controlled from start to finish in a much needed win to get back to .500 on the season.
Along the way we learned a lot about this team and its potential when it's clicking on all cylinders, even without starting quarterback Myles Brennan in the lineup. Here were three observations from the Tigers' stellar outing against the Gamecocks.
LSU True Freshmen Show Out on Big Stage
With this much turnover on the roster, true freshmen were widely expected to make a tremendous impact. The contributions the Tigers' received on Saturday night from some of its young up and comers proved the future is bright in Baton Rouge.
Everyone's going to focus on TJ Finley and rightfully so. The true freshman quarterback was simply fantastic in his college football debut. He completed 81% of his passes for 265 yards and three total touchdowns in the win.
Coach Ed Orgeron said after the game he thought Finley played phenomenally well but was most impressed with Finley's ability to stay composed.
"Strong arm, very confident, he never blinked," Orgeron said. "TJ showed us a lot of confidence throughout camp. I thought he did a tremendous job of leading the team today, he has a tremendous arm and made some good decisions. I thought he did a phenomenal job.
"I feel like we have our swagger back,” Finley added. “I entered the contest really relaxed. Coach [Steve] Ensminger was amazing. I wouldn't say I didn't have any pre-game jitters, but if I did, it was very little."
Finley's evening was the story of the game but freshmen BJ Ojulari and Elias Ricks also made some timely, game altering plays. Ojulari recorded three sacks on the evening, bringing his total to four for the season which is a team high.
If there was one play that ultimately determined the breakaway nature the game took on, it was the pick six from Ricks in the second quarter. With LSU leading by two touchdowns, the freshman made a great read on a Collin Hill pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown to break the game open.
Defense Bends, But Doesn't Break in Bounce Back Effort
LSU came into Saturday’s contest with too many questions to count on the defensive side of the ball. Fans likely went to bed feeling slightly better about the unit as a whole moving forward but there remain some noticeable holes that still need to be filled.
Eliminating the explosive plays remains an issue as South Carolina did manage to average 7.9 yards per play and over 400 yards of total offense. But the Tigers found a way to "bend but not break." This was mainly accomplished by tightening up and applying pressure on Gamecock quarterback Collin Hill when South Carolina got in the redzone.
"The reason they got down to the redzone was a few mishaps on our part. We had bad eyes by some of us in the secondary and linebackers missed their gaps," safety Jabril Cox said. "Once they [South Carolina] got down there, we decided to bend but not break. It was good we held them on a couple of possessions."
Cox said that giving up those big "explosive" plays of 20 yards or more is something that can be fixed but that it starts with the players not making the same mistakes.
"That's on us the players, losing our eyes, trying to make a play or just not focusing on the play," Cox said.
"There's still some things we need to sure up, especially in our coverage part," Orgeron added.
Running Game Paves the Way for Offensive Success
It was talked about all week by Orgeron and just seemed like the likely gameplan to help settle TJ Finley in the game. The Tigers needed to run the ball effectively and that's exactly what happened as LSU racked up 276 yards on the ground to complement the 265 yards through the air.
A perfect balance between the two is what helped LSU control the clock and hang 38 points of offense on the Gamecocks. John Emery led the way in the first half, finishing the game with 88 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Tyrion Davis-Price dominated the second half with his 135 yards and a touchdown.
"We already have a pass game. We wanted to come out and show we have a run game," Emery said. "Me and Ty always motivate each other. It was great. I'm happy for him and he's happy for me. We just have to take it one game at a time."
Emery complimented the offensive line in particular for the running lanes the big men up front were able to create for Emery and Davis-Price. In particular, LSU elects to run a good number of its running plays to the left side where guard Ed Ingram blocks.
Ingram has established himself as an elite level run blocking offensive lineman and a guy the Tigers sorely missed against Missouri. When he's played this season, LSU has put forth some dominant performances on the ground.
"Ed is so powerful, he has experience, he's been playing for quite a bit now and you can trust Ed," Emery said. "He barely makes mistakes in the game, he always executes."
