Last week, Jayden Daniels exploded for three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns against Florida after receiving heavy criticism from fans and media. This was surely an aberration, right? Well, Daniels accounted for five more touchdowns yesterday, so it would seem this is more of the norm. The Tigers pulled away from seventh ranked Ole Miss 45 – 21, in the first signature win of the Brian Kelly era. LSU was impressive offensively, but they were just as impressive defensively after a rocky start. I gave three keys to an LSU win in the game preview, and the Tigers excelled in all three areas.

Stop the Run

LSU held the Rebels to 116 yards rushing. This is the same Ole Miss team that rushed for 448 yards a week earlier against Auburn. Lane Kiffin knew LSU would approach the game focused on stopping the run, so he leaned on his passing game early. That game plan proved to be successful, as the Tigers were off balance defensively and had no answers on the first two drives. The LSU defense made it a point to hit quarterback Jaxson Dart as often as possible, especially on run plays. Ole Miss has built in options on most plays in which Dart can choose to hand the ball off, run, or pass. The accumulation of hits on Dart eventually affected him to the point where he essentially had two options, because he no longer had any interest in running. LSU was then able to focus more on the Rebels’ star running back, Quinshon Judkins, and the Ole Miss running game was shut down after the first half. Once again, Micah Baskerville was all over the field, finishing with nine tackles on the day. Week after week, Matt House continues to show why Brian Kelly targeted him for the defensive coordinator position.

Explosive Plays

LSU’s defensive game plan gave Jaxson Dart multiple opportunities to pass into single coverage during the game, and he was able to take advantage early with a 37 yard pass to Jonathan Mingo. Fortunately, the Tigers’ blitz packages were more effective as the game went on, and Dart was not able to have as much success. The numbers tell a story of the LSU defense settling in, as Dart threw for 204 yards in the first half and only 80 yards in the second half. As usual, Howard Perkins was an integral factor in the success of the defense. Perkins did what Perkins does once he was inserted into the lineup, and Dart was uncomfortable in the pocket the rest of the day. Quinshon Judkins’ longest run of the day was 18 yards, so that’s a win when defending a back as explosive as he is.

In-game Adjustments

LSU’s defensive adjustments were as much about personnel as they were about scheme. Sage Ryan got more time at the nickel after Jay Ward got too aggressive early in the game. Perkins played more on the line as a pass rusher than an off-the-ball linebacker, and he was disruptive. As the defense played with better leverage on the outside, House called more inside blitzes, and Dart did not respond well. Offensively, Mike Denbrock eventually saw that Ole Miss simply does not have the personnel to stop the run. LSU leaned on the ground game heavily in the second half. The running game was even more effective with Daniels than it was with running backs, as the running back on the field at the time provided an extra blocker. Jayden Daniels could have had another 300+ yard passing game against this defense, but there was no reason to complicate things.

This was an impressive showing by the Tigers, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The defense bounced back after a shaky effort against Florida. Daniels continues to grow not only with his recognition, but also with his accuracy. Short crossing routes that used to be thrown hard and behind receivers are now thrown with touch and in front of receivers. Daniels is now throwing outs and comeback routes before receivers get out of their breaks. LSU now gets to go into the bye week, self-scout, and get guys like John Emery healthy before Bama comes to town. Brian Kelly likes his team, and I can only imagine the possibilities for the program once he has more recruiting classes under his belt. As for now, the 2022 Tigers have a lot to play for, and the ceiling gets higher with every win. Geaux Tigers!!