Behind Enemy Lines: Get to know LSU
With Kayshon Boutte out this week who are some other players that can make an impact on offense for the Tigers?
Kayshon Boutte was LSU's definite go-to this season prior to his injury last week. And, while there are still several talented weapons at sophomore quarterback Max Johnson's disposal, most of the best are freshmen and have been accordingly up and down thus far. Malik Nabers finished second on the team last week with three catches for 66 yards, including an acrobatic 41-yard score. He had arguably the best camp of any pass-catcher before having his debut delayed by injury, so there's some optimism he may just now be hitting his stride. Deion Smith had a huge game earlier this season but has been largely quiet since conference play began, and Jack Bech has been the most constant presence of the 2021 signees and a frequent third-down security blanket. The Tigers also struggled to sustain any semblance of a respectable running game this season until junior Tyrion Davis-Price's 147 yards and two scores at Kentucky. So carrying anything over in that area, whether with Davis-Price or freshmen Corey Kiner and Armoni Goodwin, would be helpful in coping with such a huge hit to the receiving corps.
LSU is less than two years removed from one of the most magical seasons in memory. How have things gone so south so quickly for Coach O and the program?
The national championship run was such a perfect storm of elements. A really talented team was more unstable and splintered behind the scenes at one point entering the 2018 season than many people realize. But Orgeron hit a home run in his recruitment of graduate transfer Joe Burrow, who took the reins of the locker room and meshed well with a strong class of rising upperclassman leaders. The Tigers were able to gain some momentum, mask some deficiencies and start clicking by the end of 2018. They carried that momentum through a diligent offseason, were boosted by another strong addition from Orgeron in passing game coordinator Joe Brady and never looked back. But the storm has gone the polar opposite direction ever since. LSU suffered more turnover from its roster and staff in the wake of that title than any other reigning national champion in decades, if not ever, and has been young and thin ever since with other departures and injuries mounting this year. The vast majority of the staff has turned over not once, but twice, since then, too, with more misses than hits this time around. And the Tigers have just never been able to get any kind of continuity or momentum going, instead seeming to live in almost constant clouds of uncertainty and tension.
Is there a way, a combination of wins the rest of the season, that could save Coach O's job?
A remaining slate of No. 20 Florida, No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 5 Alabama, No. 17 Arkansas, ULM, and No. 21 Texas A&M would mean some notable victories if the Tigers could somehow salvage a 9-3 or 8-4 record necessary to possibly save Orgeron's job. But that level of competition, paired with the team's performance thus far, also lives little reason to be confident this team finishes better than 6-6. And, with an open date looming at the end of this month, this team may need to show dramatic strides now to keep the conversation alive.
Florida is a double-digit road favorite but everyone who has watched the UF-LSU rivalry knows crazy things can and often do happen. What needs to happen this weekend for LSU to pull off the upset?
A lot of the same recipe as a year ago would have to come into play, starting primarily with the turnover battle that played such a huge role at pivotal times for the Tigers in the Swamp in 2020. The defense would have to reverse its recent slide and come up with some takeaways, and Johnson would have to take care of the ball and connect with a young weapon or two for some timely plays.
Where is the fan interest level? Death Valley is one of the best venues in all of college football but what will it look like at 11 am on Saturday?
I am extremely interested to see what the support level for a reeling program with many fans already loudly critical looks like for an 11 a.m. kickoff. LSU fans can be hit or miss for morning kickoffs even under more positive circumstances. And a few vocal fans and media are even advocated for skipping the game as a way to show their disapproval of Oregon and the program's direction. Other fans want to show their support for the players and their effort, regardless of other circumstances. And one notable boost could come from this weekend being the first in which LSU is welcoming fans to Tiger Stadium without the requirement of a proof of vaccination or negative COVID test, so some fans who had been skipping games in protest of those protocols may show up just to finally get to a game.