What We Learned About LSU After Dominant Win Over McNeese State

The LSU Tigers move to 4-1 on the year after a dominant victory over the McNeese State Cowboys, which once again featured the high-powered offense showing exactly what they can achieve under head coach Lane Kiffin.

The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Tigers either, with more ranked opponents on the horizon, but for now, the program ended its non-conference slate with a blowout victory as they continue pushing through the year.

What did the Tigers show in their 63-14 win over the Cowboys, and how can that be applied to the rest of the season?

The LSU Offense Continues to Build

LSU Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) during warm ups before the game against McNeese Cowboys at Tiger Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The only loss of the season for the Tigers, it was due to a concerning first half against the Ole Miss Rebels, which felt like the offense was struggling to establish any form of rhythm and sustained success for long drives.

Part of that was the passing game, as quarterback Sam Leavitt struggled and was only finding real success when using his legs to scramble for positive yardage. Including the win over the Cowboys and last week's win over the Texas A&M Aggies, however, Leavitt has shown exactly why his arm is considered a strength of his.

He finished 18 for 23 for 176 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, which could have been more had it not been for a few dropped passes. His average yards per attempt was 7.7 yards, pushing the ball down the field to keep the defense on their heels.

Perhaps more importantly, Leavitt didn't have a single rushing attempt in the win, opting to display another week as a pure pocket passer and how he can use that to win games. Defenses will now have to respect Leavitt's arm, rather than forcing him to win with it, which should aid the rushing attack as well.

Working on Discipline

Entering the week five contest, the Tigers were averaging seven penalties a game, which ranked in the top-50 for the year. While the number of penalties isn't egregious, as the Tigers move further into their gauntlet schedule, limiting mistakes make a major difference in close games.

Prior to the fourth quarter starting in the blowout win over the Cowboys, the Tigers had zero penalties in the contest, playing a clean brand of football. That performance comes after finishing the win over the Aggies with five penalties, still lower than their season average, and another step in the right direction for Lane Kiffin's program.

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