Tigers Bounce Back in 65-17 Win Over Southern
LSU came into Saturday night’s contest looking to get back on track and this program did that in a big way against Southern, coming out on top 65-17. This unit showed improvement in every facet of the game, specifically within their special teams group.
It was a fast start for the Tigers, forcing a quick turnover and never looking back after punching one in for six shortly after. Starting quarterback Jayden Daniels showed significant growth when given time in the pocket, connecting on back-to-back plays with Kayshon Boutte to start the game.
“We got off to a great start playing with a sense of urgency,” Brian Kelly said after the game. “We knew we were going to be challenged in our preparation and I thought our guys bounced back and prepared very well. It was an exciting day in Baton Rouge.”
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It was clear what the main message of this offense was from the jump: get the ball to Boutte and get out the way. The All-American wide receiver showed out on Saturday despite only playing in the first quarter.
Boutte finished with five touches for 78 yards, really showing his athleticism on an end-around run that went for 41 yards.
"We felt it was important to get him into a rhythm early on,” Kelly said. “He’s tough to bring down… Let’s get the ball to him even if it's short, quick routes.”
For Daniels, the Tigers’ QB1 was lights out against Southern’s defense. Throwing for three touchdowns in the first half, and even running one in on a scramble to the right side of the end zone, he looked much more poised when given the opportunity to.
Boutte and Daniels saw most of their time come in the first quarter. Daniels ended the night going 10-for-11 on his passing attempts with 137 yards and four total touchdowns.
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Though LSU’s starters only played in the first quarter, their dominance showed, breaking the school record for most points in the quarter with 37 and going into halftime up 51-0.
The Tigers experimented on numerous occasions in this one, specifically at the offensive line position. Coach Brad Davis decided to give Charles Turner the start at center and put Garrett Dellinger at left guard.
“We felt like (Charles) Turner gave us really good communication,” Kelly said. “He’s really sharp and we gained a lot of communication there. I felt like we needed a bigger body on the outside.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Garrett Nussmeier took over in the second quarter and carried his significant snaps into the third. It wasn’t the best showing for Nussmeier, who tossed two interceptions with one being returned for a touchdown by Southern, but the youngster put together a few solid drives.
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A bright spot for the Tigers was sophomore running back Armoni Goodwin, who finished the night with 12 rushing attempts for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Goodwin has shown tremendous growth from last season to now, really filling the role as LSU’s main back during John Emery’s absence.
For Southern, it was a difficult showing, but it was set to be a challenging matchup before the first snap. Though the score was lopsided, this program showed fight, specifically from quarterback BeSean McCray.
The Jaguars’ signal-caller’s confidence never wavered, keeping his head down and working for his squad until the final snap.
All in all, it was a tremendous showing by the Tigers, who dominated in all phases of the game from start to finish in the battle of Baton Rouge. Showing improvement with their special teams unit and getting standout performances by their offensive weapons, LSU bounced back in a big way Saturday night.
