How bout them Tigers?!! Playing a top 10 Texas team in Austin in the biggest non conference game of the year, the new offense with its vast array of weapons was on full display. Joe Burrow threw an early interception and didn’t flinch, going on to play his best game at LSU. I predicted Burrow would throw for over 300 yards; little did I know he would throw for 471! Play after play Burrow put the ball only where his receivers could get it, and Jefferson, Chase, and Marshall proved to be unguardable. Each one of them gained over 100 receiving yards. I wasn’t impressed with the running game, and honestly would have liked to see the freshmen running backs more. My hunch is that the coaches felt more comfortable with the veteran backs as pass blockers. Either way, Texas couldn’t stop the LSU passing attack, and that was enough to win.

As satisfying as the win was, there are some concerns. With all the DBU talk going on neither team could seem to stop anybody. Burrow threw for 471 yards, but Sam Ehlinger threw for 401. That kind of defense is offensive to an SEC fan. Grant Delpit let his emotions get the best of him against his home state flagship, missing open field tackles going for the big hit. It’s simply a matter of sticking to your fundamentals and wrapping up. Kristian Fulton undercut a WR, misjudged the ball, and gave up an early touchdown. He was never the same after that. Although he had decent coverage throughout the game, he too often played the WR instead of the ball and racked up pass interference flags. To be fair, Texas WR’s Colin Johnson and Brennan Eagles pushed off on every route. No DB can effectively cover if the game is called like that. With so much success passing the ball it was encouraging to see Texas avoid freshman Derek Stingley. He was robbed of an interception by officials (a pass can’t be incomplete if the ball didn’t hit the ground), and Ehlinger didn’t play with him anymore after that. It says a lot of the freshman for the opposing team to choose to attack the All American on the other side of him. A key to UT’s success on offense was the success they had on early down rushes. Nothing spectacular, but 4 yards on first down gives you a lot of options on second down. The freedom to call any play combined with the ability to hold Chaisson without getting flagged for it results in an abundance of yardage and points. 

MVP

Surprise, surprise…Joe Burrow. I’m more impressed every game I see him in this offense. Burrow is poised, mobile, willing to take hits, can make the reads, AND make the throws. He’s everything you need in a QB, and now he gets three “gimme” games to fine tune the passing attack before playing Florida. His accuracy is elite, but he also trusts his receivers in one on one coverage, which makes this offense unstoppable. He’s a more accurate Matt Flynn.

Defensive Player of the Game

Derek Stingley. It appeared Texas was willing or even planned to attack him early in the game, but that quickly changed. Enjoy Stingley while you can, because he is a generational player. It’s extremely rare for a DB that young to never panic. He understands his position in relation to the WR, doesn’t hold, and has elite ball skills. LSU won’t face a team with this much talent at WR until they play Alabama, and Stingley completely shut his side down. 

Unsung Hero

Steve Ensminger and Joe Brady were aggressive all night long. There were times in the fourth quarter when I felt like the team should have sprinkled in more runs to keep the clock going, but Ensminger kept attacking. After so many years of watching games where LSU called plays to stay in the game or keep the game close, I can’t explain how gratifying it is to see aggressive play calling. It gives confidence to the players and excitement to recruits. Most importantly, it makes the team harder to stop. The only reason LSU has recruited so many great WR’s is because this state produces so many. Now they have an actual recruiting tool, proof that receiving talent will be utilized. The future is bright.

I underestimated Texas. They’re a serious contender, but LSU now has the most impressive win in this young season. I’m not worried about the defense, but I do think we should be more aggressive on third down. There were good plays and bad plays, but you have to feel good about going on the road, overcoming the adversity of injuries and an early turnover, and defeating a top 10 team. At this point the media manufactured hot seat talk about Coach Orgeron last year sounds beyond absurd. Coach O is legit, and this team is legit. I won’t get carried away after 2 games, but LSU has the ability to beat ANY team in the country this year. Enjoy the ride and GEAUX TIGERS!!!