ESPN passwords will be shared and bars will be filled as the LSU Tigers conclude spring practices with their spring game at 2:00 p.m. on SEC+. Fans are surely intrigued by the game, but the sudden stability of the program has led to the quietest spring in recent memory. LSU brings back an established starter at quarterback, hasn’t had much news off the field, and don’t have glaring needs in any position group. These facts won’t get media outlets excited, but they’re great for a team. I recently wrote about players and competitions that fans won’t see in the spring game. It’s now time to talk about what I look forward to seeing the most.

Secondary

For the second year in a row, no position group will feature as many new faces as the secondary. The difference this year is the coaching staff had the luxury of signing younger players from the transfer portal, so they should be able to avoid overhauling the unit annually. I feel confident in the staff molding this group of cornerbacks into a cohesive group due to the success they had last year with a less talented group. However, rankings and stars won’t keep these kids from getting Moss’d by Brian Thomas. They’ll have to prove their worth on the field. This will be the first time fans get to see former five-star Denver Harris, Ohio State transfer JK Johnson, and Zy Alexander in purple and gold. Don’t sleep on redshirt freshman Laterrance Welch, who has apparently gotten plenty of first team reps at corner. Freshman Javien Toviano could also get cornerback reps but has more experience at safety. Injuries to safeties Major Burns and Greg Brooks led to a heavy workload for freshman Ryan Yaites. Yaites’ development will be critical to creating quality depth for a thin position group.

Linebacker

Much has been made about the role Harold Perkins will play in 2023, but it’s now fairly obvious that the coaches will play him off the ball as an inside linebacker. I’m curious to see how well he reads his keys, reacts, and sheds blocks. I fully expect Perkins to rush the passer in obvious passing situations in the fall, barring any unforeseen accidents in which the staff would lose their capacities. The Tigers also signed first team All-Pac 12 linebacker Omar Speights, who appears ready fill the void left by Micah Baskerville.

Quarterback

No spring game preview is complete without discussing the quarterbacks, so here we are. Brian Kelly has been straightforward about where he wants Jayden Daniels to improve, so expect Daniels to throw the ball deep early and often. Garrett Nussmeier will be aggressive and decisive. There won’t be much to glean from either of the veterans’ performances today, so why should anyboyd get excited to see the quarterbacks? Rickie Collins. So much has been said about Walker Howard leaving and 2024 prospect Colin Hurley committing that Collins has become somewhat of an afterthought; he shouldn’t be. Collins played behind a leaky offensive line and finished high school as an underrated prospect. He has the tools to eventually be a quality SEC starter.

This is an LSU team with high hopes and several key personnel pieces to come in the summer. The injuries to the team this spring could actually help the team develop the depth needed to be a true championship contender. There are not many teams with fewer questions than the Tigers in 2023. Watch, enjoy, and appreciate a team that now understands the staff’s expectations and look to take the next step. Geaux Tigers!!

For the first time ever, the LSU Lady Tigers will play for the national championship. The two-year turnaround has been hard to believe for even the most fervent followers of the sport, as LSU has been underrated by national pundits all year. I continue to see major publications discredit LSU even in attempts to praise them. A major publication recently described Iowa as “more consistent.” That’s not impossible, but it doesn’t get much more consistent than losing only two games all year. Regardless, Kim Mulkey has done an unbelievable job of not only recruiting but turning an assembly of talent into a cohesive team. This team could be facing its biggest challenge yet against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark averages 27.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 8.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Though she’s gained a reputation for her shooting prowess, she is much more than a shooter. Clark employs an all-around, Oscar Robertson type of game. Iowa also has a talented inside presence with 6’3″ Monika Czinano. Czinano’s 17 points per game is impressive, but the 68% field goal percentage is even more impressive. If she gets to her spots, it’s probably going in. McKenna Warnock is a 6’1″ forward who shoots a higher percentage than Clark from three-point range. This is a very talented and well coached team.

When LSU is at its best, it starts at the defensive end. The fourth quarter run to gain control of the semifinal game against Virginia Tech was fueled by defense. That ugly rock fight of a game against Miami? Yeah, can’t thank the offense for that win. Against Iowa, it’s better to accept that Caitlin Clark will get hers and try to keep the role players in check. When she gets everyone involved, they’re almost impossible to beat. I would expect plenty of man-to-man defense against these shooters and never going under screens.

Offensively, LSU probably got a better matchup than South Carolina presents. USC’s Aliyah Boston was one of the only players to slow Angel Reese down, but the environment was as much of a factor in that game as the personnel was. Reese’s quickness and creativity around the rim has been hard to stop, as evidenced by her 33 double doubles this season. Alexis Morris has shown the ability to create her shot at will, and the Tigers are a different team when Morris is aggressive. When the defense sags off perimeter shooters and collapses on Reese, LaDazhia Williams is the X-factor. Williams has quietly played as consistently as any player lately. She does not get out of control. She does not attempt to go beyond her role. She consistently hits the 12-15 ft jumper and finishes well in the post.

It’s obvious that LSU is ahead of schedule as a program. This year has gone beyond even the biggest fanatics’ expectations. This year would be considered a success by any standard, but why stop there? This team is fully capable of beating Iowa and winning the national championship. LSU is an aptly amassed gumbo of transfers from all over who shared a belief in Kim Mulkey that was obviously warranted. LSU 73 – Iowa 67. Geaux Tigers!!

LSU Football is back in action for practice after a week off for spring break. The Tigers entered the spring with high expectations for 2023 after a surprising 10-win season followed by a top five recruiting class. By any reasonable standard, Brian Kelly’s first season was successful. However, success breeds expectations, and LSU will be expected to be even better in 2023. Jayden Daniels is back and will likely be a frontrunner for preseason All-SEC honors. All five starters return on the offensive line. All signs point to LSU taking another step towards joining the elites of college football, but it starts now with building off the success of 2022 and integrating new players into the fold. Much has been said about what fans want to see this spring. Due to injuries and many key players not arriving until this summer, the spring could be more about what fans won’t see.

Running Back Competition

John Emery, probably the most talented running back on the roster, will not participate in spring practice in an effort to focus on academics. After the eligibility issues throughout his career, I like that Brian Kelly is emphasizing the right priorities for Emery. Speedster Armoni Goodwin is out with an injury as well as the dependable Josh Williams. Noah Cain and freshman Trey Holly are the only scholarship running backs available, and this is a great chance for Holly to get acclimated to the challenges of playing at this level. Due to the depth once the room gets healthier, I am not worried about this position.

Offensive Line

The Tigers signed a heralded offensive line class led by five-star Zalance Heard, but they’ll only have six scholarship offensive linemen available this spring. Returning starters Charles Turner and Miles Frazier are both out with injuries, and the four true freshmen won’t make it on campus until the summer. The offensive line showed great promise with the performance of the freshman tackles in 2022, but fans will have to wait until fall to see the full unit together.

Quarterback Competition

Contrary to common overreactions, there is no quarterback competition. Sure, Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier shared reps against Purdue. Considering Purdue was missing six starters and a head coach, Uncle Rico could have thrown for over 300 yards in the bowl game. A team can afford to mix it up in those situations. Not only did Daniels carry the LSU offense at times last year, but he did it with an offensive line that took time to gel. This will be his second year to play with LSU’s elite group of receivers; this is his team. Make no mistake, Nussmeier has the accuracy, arm strength, anticipation, and confidence to strike fear in a defense with the weapons at his disposal.

You can’t tell by this column, but there’s plenty to look forward to this spring. Can Howard Perkins play inside linebacker? How will the transfer defensive linemen perform? Who’ll start at corner? Many positions are up for grabs, so pay close attention to Brian Kelly when he speaks to the media. These battles will help decide how far this team can go. Geaux Tigers!!

LSU has a proud tradition and legacy of an entertaining brand of play in both men and women’s basketball. Although they don’t have the championships to show for it, players like Pistol Pete, Mahmoud Abdul Rauf, Shaquille O’Neal, Seimone Augustus, and Sylvia Fowles have built the programs into well-known brands at an institution at which football unquestionably comes first. At a time when the two programs seem to be trending in opposite directions, I’ll assess their positions relative to competition and expectations, starting with women’s basketball.

Women’s Basketball

Athletic Director Scott Woodward has earned a reputation as a big game hunter when it comes to hiring coaches at LSU, and one of his biggest catches was undoubtedly former Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey. A Louisiana native, Mulkey took over a Baylor program coming off a 7-20 season. She went on to win three national championships at Baylor, and she never lost more than 5 games after the 2009-10 season. At LSU, she inherited a team that steamrolled the competition to an extraordinary 9-13 record the year before her arrival. Since then, she’s gone 54-8 at LSU with aspirations of a deep NCAA tournament run this year. Of course, this was not by luck. Mulkey brought instant credibility to the program, which brought recruits and transfers. She’s taken every opportunity to manage fan expectations publicly, which has taken pressure off the players. Last but not least, she is a proven, elite coaching mind who gets the best out of her players. LSU Women’s Basketball is as good as it has been since the early to mid 2000’s, and another Mulkey national championship feels inevitable.

Men’s Basketball

Unfortunately, Head Coach Matt McMahon came into a different situation than Mulkey. McMahon ran a highly successful program at Murray State, winning his conference four of the last five years of his tenure. Not only did he regularly reach the NCAA tournament, but he advanced to the second round three times. McMahon took a calculated risk by coming to LSU when he could’ve easily continued to dominate the Ohio Valley Conference with unending job security. Due to the firing of Will Wade and the uncertainty that ensued, LSU lost almost every player on the roster to the transfer portal or professional basketball in 2022. Adam Miller and Mwani Wilkinson returned after initially entering their names into the portal. Considering the circumstances, no rational person should’ve expected a competitive team this year. However, McMahon’s grace period will soon come to an end. With LSU’s new NIL collective and the transfer portal fundamentally changing the approach to assembling teams, McMahon will be expected to field a competitive team within the next 2 years.

As for LSU basketball fans, enjoy the ride with the women and be patient with the men. Keep in mind that Matt McMahon is a proven coach; he just accepted an incredible challenge. Kim Mulkey would discourage this kind of rhetoric, but the sculptor can safely start on her statue now. The hardware is coming. Geaux Tigers!!

Another exciting yet fleeting college football season has come and gone. While watching Georgia dismantle TCU, I couldn’t avoid thinking about the problems LSU gave Georgia in the SEC championship game. Georgia was obviously the better team, but the game could have gone much differently without a blocked kick and a freak interception. This column won’t be a recap of the SEC Championship but more of a closer look at what LSU needs to do to return to elite status in college football.

Build Depth

The biggest difference between UGA and LSU wasn’t as simple as player personnel; it’s the depth of the talent on the roster. For reference, the Bulldogs’ defensive tackle Jalen Carter, the highest rated player on Mel Kiper’s 2023 draft board, played only 308 snaps in 2022. LSU’s All-American defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo logged over 700 snaps this season. Championship teams can go two and sometimes even three deep with minimal drop-off in quality. The Tigers are well on their way to building the depth needed with the fifth ranked overall (high school recruits and transfers) class in the 247 Sports rankings. It’s important to note that LSU’s staff has been mostly targeting transfers with at least two years of eligibility left. Brian Kelly inherited a roster in such a dire condition last year that he did not have that option. Another important aspect of building depth is retaining the players that are already on the roster, but that is an ongoing problem for practically every program in the country.

Evaluate and Replace Assistants

I was tremendously impressed with the offensive and defensive coordinators for LSU this year, but I’m sure other programs were also impressed. As LSU continues to increase the quality of their on-field product, assistant coaches will leave for better opportunities. The only thing that can keep Matt House from becoming a head coach in college football is a lack of interest in becoming a head coach. Fortunately, Brian Kelly has proven that he has the ability to effectively assess the abilities of assistant candidates and make hires that make his job easier.

Solidify the Culture

Talent and disciplined daily habits create a winning program, and Kelly has done an excellent job of quickly establishing his expectations with the players within the program. If one ignores the rumor mill, there were relatively few incidents off the field that have led to players missing time in 2022. A winning mentality consists of not only avoiding trouble but also going the extra mile with daily tasks. It helps immensely when the best players exhibit that trait. The aforementioned Mekhi Wingo won LSU’s Alvin Roy award, which goes to the hardest worker in the strength and conditioning program. Recruiting and developing players with that kind of self-motivation will further ingrain the standard that Kelly wants to his players to meet upon arrival.

The Tigers will bring back the bulk of their offensive starters and likely begin the 2023 season as a top 10 team. They’re still adding transfers to an elite recruiting class. As of now, the entire coaching staff will return. LSU fans have a lot to be excited about regarding the future of the program and could be watching the Tigers in playoffs sooner than later. Geaux Tigers!!

Signing day has arrived, and LSU is looking to sign over 30 high school and transfer recruits. Brian Kelly’s 2023 class is currently ranked fifth in the country, which is pretty good for a guy that apparently isn’t a cultural fit for LSU. Yesterday I covered the offensive players currently committed to this class. Today I’ll go over the defensive recruits, including an elite cornerback group that has the potential to get better during the early signing period.

Defensive Line

DE 4* Dashawn Womack (6’4″/240) Baltimore, MD

• Strong and explosive prospect with verified 4.7 speed
• Top prospect in the state of Maryland

DE 4* Jaxon Howard (6’4″/245) Minneapolis, MN

• Possesses high end athleticism and versatility
• Also played tight end in high school

DE 3* Dylan Carpenter (6’3″/240) St. Amant, LA

• Multi-sport high school athlete

Transfer DE 3* Paris Shand (6’5″/240) University of Arizona

• Seven starts as a sophomore
• 2.5 sacks in 2022

Transfer DE 3* Bradyn Swinson (6’4″/245) University of Oregon

• Played in 30 games for Oregon
• Two years left to play

Transfer DT 4* Jalen Lee (6’3″/294) University of Florida

• Former LSU commitment in high school
• Watson, LA native

Linebacker

4* Whit Weeks (6’2″/205) Watkinsville, GA

• Physical player with above average lateral movement
• Older brother, West Weeks, currently plays for LSU

3* Christian Brathwaite (6’1″/225) Cypress, TX

• Uses hands well to shed blockers
• Shows ability to sift through traffic when blitzing

Cornerback

4* Javien Toviano (6’0″/185) Arlington, TX

• Versatile prospect with ability to also play safety

4* Daylen Austin (6’1″/180) Long Beach, CA

• Great ball skills
• High ceiling as returner
• Commitment not 100% solid, possible flip candidate

3* Jeremiah Hughes (6’1″/175) Las Vegas, NV

• Lengthy corner with multiple SEC offers

3* Ashton Stamps (6’0″/170) Metarie, LA

• Under the radar prospect who earned offer at LSU’s elite camp

Safety

4* Kylin Jackson (6’2″/200) Zachary, LA

• Elite run supporter with coverage skills

4* Ryan Yaites (6’0″/190) Denton, TX

• Smart player who showed off athleticism at cornerback in high school

4* Michael Daugherty (6’1″/180) Loganville, GA

• Flashes the ability to play both in the box and in coverage
• Acceleration contributes to his effectiveness when blitzing

Kelly has mentioned that he’s expecting the team to be young at cornerback in ’23, so that leads me to believe that he won’t add to that position group from the portal unless it’s an elite prospect. Texas A&M transfer and former five star recruit Denver Harris fits that description, but he won’t be an option unless Kelly is confident Harris’s off the field issues are behind him. LSU is also heavily in the mix for Desmond Ricks, who is considered by some services to be the top high school cornerback in the country. He’ll announce his decision Thursday. The defensive line group will be supplemented by transfers, as LSU needs both edge rusher and defensive tackle depth. I have bad news for the “stars don’t matter” crowd. The last three CFB national champions’ average ranking of their four recruiting classes leading up to their championship season was no lower than seventh. Georgia’s classes had an average of 2, Alabama 2, and LSU was the outlier at 7. However, LSU also had a coaching change within those four classes. Obviously, teams don’t have to have the top class every year. Teams have to identify, evaluate, and develop players on campus. LSU had a top 10 class in a transition year; I can’t wait to see what they do with continuity on the staff. Geaux Tigers!!

If you’re reading this, you’re well aware that Brian Kelly has elevated a .500 regular season team to SEC West champions in one year. Sure, Kelly is a skilled tactician and motivator, but many wondered how he would fare as a recruiter in the most competitive division in college football. Despite limited time to build relationships with recruits, he answered that question emphatically by building the seventh ranked class overall in the class 2022, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. For clarity, the overall rankings include both high school recruits and transfers. Nine of the 15 transfers started games in 2022, which speaks to the LSU coaching staff’s ability to identify and evaluate talent. With early signing day only one day away, let’s take a look at LSU’s 2023 offensive class. The star ratings shown are from the 247 Sports composite rankings.

Quarterback

4* Rickie Collins (6’2″/190) Baton Rouge, LA

• Athletic, competitive prospect with compact delivery

Running Back

4* Kaleb Jackson (5’10″/200) Baton Rouge LA

• Thick build with track speed

4* Trey Holly (5’8″ 180) Farmerville, LA

• Physical, plays bigger than listed size
• Louisiana’s all-time leading rusher.

Wide Receiver

4* Shelton Sampson (6’4″/181) Baton Rouge, LA

• Lengthy receiver with 4.3 forty time

4* Jalen Brown (6’1″/170) Miami, FL)

• Ran 10.86 100 meter dash

4* Kyle Parker (5’10″/175) Lucas, TX

• Shifty, productive WR with 1,514 all-purpose yards his senior year in Texas 5A football

4* Khai Prean (6’0/190) St. James, LA

• Versatile athlete with sub-11 second 100 meter time

Transfer 4* Aaron Anderson (5’9″/185) University of Alabama

• One of the most explosive players in Karr’s storied history
• Dynamic receiver and returner

Tight End

4* Mac Markway (6’4″/250) St. Louis, MO

• Athletic receiver and physical blocker
• Multi-sport athlete

3* Jackson McGohan (6’4″/235) Miamisburg, OH

• Excellent body control with superb ball skills

Offensive Line

OT 5* Zalance Heard (6’6″/310) Monroe, LA

• Prototypical length with physical nature
• Same high school (Neville) as current Tiger Will Campbell

OT 4* DJ Chester (6’5″/300) McDonough, GA

• Physical run blocker

OT 4* Tyree Adams (6’5″/285) New Orleans, LA

• Moves well laterally with potential to be elite with more weight

OT 3* Paul Mubenga (6’4″/280) Buford, GA

• Athletic with ability to block in space

Brian Kelly has often said that the high volume of transfers in 2022 was a necessity but not the ideal situation. The Tigers’ coaching staff is attempting to build the offensive line from the high school ranks. Keep in mind that some of the offensive line prospects listed as tackles could end up at guard. LSU is also preparing to lose several wideouts after the 2023 season, adding five players to a currently elite group. There is no longer a 25 player cap on recruiting classes as long as the full roster does not surpass 85 scholarship players, so expect plenty of action in the next few days with LSU having so many needs. I don’t think it’s necessary, but I wouldn’t be shocked if the Tigers reached out to a transfer quarterback if Jayden Daniels leaves for the draft. I’m not saying the staff doesn’t trust Garrett Nussmeier, but competition has never made a competitive player worse. Teams can’t win by recruiting alone, especially when recruiting big names without a vision of how each player fits their scheme. However, they absolutely cannot win big without recruiting. The 2023 defensive commitments are up next. Until then, Geaux Tigers!!!

One would think our LSU Fighting Tigers have absolutely no chance to beat the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs after such a demoralizing loss against Texas A&M. As the legendary Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend!” College football is an emotional, unpredictable game; one week has no bearing on the next week. It would be even more of a surprise to the college football world for LSU to beat Georgia, but it’s easily within the realm of possibility. Although Georgia has clearly been the best team in the country this year, they’re not the dominant force that they were last year. Offensive lulls and slow starts have plagued the Bulldogs all year. An inferior Missouri team held a lead on Georgia into the fourth quarter. Kentucky held them to 16 points. In short, they’re mortals. However, they will have plenty of motivation to win an SEC Championship, as they’ve only won one of the last four in which they have played. As for the game itself, I have three keys for LSU to pull off the upset.

Run Defense

Georgia does not have a Todd Gurley or Nick Chubb on this team, but they average an impressive 5.5 yards per carry. They go three deep at running back with Kenny McIntosh, Daijun Edwards, and Kendall Milton. All three are capable and physical backs, but Stetson Bennett is also a threat to run on passing plays when the play breaks down. LSU’s defense was inexplicably undisciplined against Texas A&M. The inside linebackers were not gap sound and the edge defenders habitually allowed Devon Achane to get outside of them. The Tigers have the talent on the defensive line to match up at the line of scrimmage. They’ll need all 11 players to consistently focus on their individual responsibilities only. If they do so, Bennett has shown that he can be reckless in the passing game.

Contain the Georgia Tight Ends

One of the more challenging aspects of stopping Georgia’s rushing attack is that defenses can’t predict run/pass by personnel. UGA will lineup with two tight ends often due to their inordinate amount of talent at that position. Brock Bowers is dominant, but Darnell Washington would be a focal target for most teams. LSU will have to center their game plan to stop the pass around the tight ends and make the wide receivers make plays. The Bulldogs have talented wide receivers, but not game breakers.

Take Shots

Most would agree that LSU needs Jayden Daniels to be 100% healthy to win this game. They’re right, but there could be a surprising bright side to Daniels not being at full strength. It could encourage him to pass more and run less. Georgia has too much talent on the field and within the coaching staff to allow Daniels to run the ball consistently. The Tigers have to pass early and often, and they have the personnel to do so. Georgia’s Kelee Ringo could be the first cornerback taken in the 2023 draft, so that gives Georgia flexibility on the other side of the field. Even so, they can’t double everybody. If Daniels sees Malik Nabers, Kayshon Boutte, or Brian Thomas in single coverage down the field he has to throw it. These are advantageous match ups that have not been exploited enough. LSU has nothing to lose.

The LSU coaching staff has done an excellent job this year of establishing winning habits and expectations; this team is not satisfied with making it to the championship. We’ll see a different version of the Tigers than the one that got bent over and spanked against the Aggies. The problem is we’ll also see a more focused Georgia team that is primed and ready for the playoffs. The Tigers will fall, albeit in valiant fashion, 27 – 21. It’s still Geaux Tigers!!

LSU is now only three wins away from a likely playoff berth, so with such high aspirations it would be easy to overlook the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Arkansas fixed that last week. The ugly win in Fayetteville left the Tigers wanting more, especially offensively. LSU will enter the game today with the intent to show the college football world that they’re closer to the team that beat Alabama than they are to the team that scraped by Arkansas. To be clear, this is not a game that LSU can win by simply showing up; anything can happen. There are three things I’d like to see from LSU to both win this game and prove they’re back on the right track.

Dictate Offensively

We’ve all heard the saying, “Take what the defense gives you,” and that is the right approach. However, you can affect what the defense decides to give you with personnel groups and formations. LSU was slow in adjusting their play calling last week, and the offense never got in a rhythm. The Tigers have an obvious personnel advantage in this game. They should be able to force the Blazer defense to react to the Tiger offense, and that should start with running the ball.

Clean Up Special Teams (again)

The unprecedented run of special teams mistakes continued last week. The string of penalties and gaffes are almost comical; at this point the officials are letting the opposing team pick which penalty they’d like to accept from the litany of flags on the field after a punt return. I’ve been conditioned to be satisfied with LSU catching punts and kicks cleanly with no return yardage. That should not be the case for a team with this much skill.

Honor the Seniors

This will be the last time the seniors for LSU suit up in Tiger Stadium. Some stayed through disappointing 2020 and 2021 seasons when so many others left. Some transferred to LSU years after not getting an offer out of high school. Either way, these are guys that obviously want to be here. They should be respected as such. The best way to honor these young men is to play with the intensity of a player that understands the sacrifices they made to get LSU back to the standard it’s held for so long.

UAB is not a pushover. They’ve lost some close games and will bring a big, physical running back that already has over 1,400 yards rushing on the season. Honestly, I’m more focused on LSU than UAB today. The Tigers need to show not only the playoff committee, but themselves that they are elite. The SEC Championship has a completely different feel if LSU loses a game before then. Geaux Tigers!!

Oregon scored 34 points yesterday in an exciting, fast-paced, dizzying offensive matchup of Top 25 teams, and lost. If you’re wondering why I’m writing about Oregon on an LSU blog, it’s to emphasize the point that there is no wrong way to win a game. LSU survived in a 13-10 win against Arkansas and are now the SEC West champions in Brian Kelly’s first year at the helm.

All the signs were there to tell us this that this would not be an easy game. The early kickoff time, freezing weather, Vegas odds, and yet I predictably and idiotically predicted that LSU would win by multiple scores. Sure, I was wrong about the margin of victory, but I was unfortunately right about the offensive staff’s approach to the game. LSU’s insistence to pass against a statistically weak secondary cost the offense a chance to get in an early rhythm to take the crowd out of the game. Give Arkansas credit for defending Jayden Daniels the same way LSU defended Bryce Young – zone looks with pressure coming from different angles. The Tigers rushing attack eventually settled in, but they still couldn’t finish drives. LSU was out of sync early and did not look comfortable offensively at any point in this game. The Bayou Bengals would have to rely on the defense on this day.

I could point to many plays in which the defense’s phenomenal effort saved LSU from disaster. The defense kept Arkansas out of field goal range after an uncharacteristic interception by Daniels on the first drive. They would go on to force a turnover on downs after the Razorbacks recovered a fumble on the LSU 10-yard line. Greg Penn played with outstanding leverage throughout, and Greg Brooks, an Arkansas transfer, made a touchdown saving pass deflection late in the game. Jaquelin Roy continued his string of success at defensive tackle in SEC competition. Many players had a key role in the dominant defensive display, but this game was about Harold Perkins.

Harold Perkins

Perkins had eight tackles, four sacks, and somehow only two forced fumbles (it seemed like 10) in this game, yet the most impressive piece, as Les Miles would say, is how he did it. He lined up on the ball as a true rush end at times in addition to playing as a quarterback spy. LSU adjusted his utilization as Arkansas changed quarterbacks, and the Razorbacks did not have an answer to his speed, power, bend, and explosiveness. As a fan, soak these games up. Record them. Gather your family as if it’s movie night. You are witnessing the most physically gifted defender to ever play for LSU. There are so many superlatives I could use to describe Perkins, but the most accurate is transcendent – beyond the range of normal or merely physical human experience. We are beholding a talent that is not normal for anybody, much less a freshman.

Many watched the game and thought, “LSU will get killed by Georgia if they play like this.” That is true, but there is no reason to assume they will play as badly as they did yesterday. Every week, game, and matchup is different. I actually like how LSU matches up against Georgia and their love of man coverage, but that’s a different article for a different day. The Tigers will get a break in SEC action to host UAB next week. Enjoy the moment; an ugly win is still a win. Don’t lose sight of the fact that LSU is not supposed to be here this soon. Geaux Tigers!!!