Opponent Analysis: #3 LSU Tigers
Louisiana Tech hits the road for a Saturday night showdown against No. 3 LSU.
To get an inside look at the Tigers, BleedTechBlue caught up with Bryce Koon of The Bengal Tiger for insight from the LSU perspective.
Check out our full conversation below.
Brian Kelly’s team comes into 2025 with expectations of making the College Football Playoff, is this the most talented roster during his tenure in Baton Rouge?
I’d say so. The young talent is up there with some of the best in the country, but the difference lies in the veterans that LSU has brought in through the transfer portal. Kelly went out and added to the roster with high-floor players who have already made their impact.
Garrett Nussmeier is considered a Heisman favorite by most pundits around the country, how has he matured throughout his time in Baton Rouge and become one of the top players in the nation?
Really two things. First, he has become the leader that everyone expected him to be. He has assumed that leadership role and been very vocal about what he wants this team to be, and it is to his credit because the players around him have followed suit. Where he goes, this offense goes, and he is the bona fide face of this program. The second thing is the mental side of the game. The arm talent has never been a question, but in between the ears is where people may have had some concerns. The mental maturity, both pre-snap and as the play progresses, has been an area of growth. We saw that on the field on Saturday night with his ability to progress through his reads and confidently make the right decision.
Which new faces (transfers or freshmen) should Tech fans keep an eye on this weekend?
On defense, I’m going with cornerback Mansoor Delane. The Virginia Tech tallied two tackles, an interception, and broke up two other passes in helping the LSU defense to one of its best performances against Clemson last week. On the offensive side, wideout Barion Brown has some serious speed and will be tough to cover for any team this year. Vertically, Brown will be targeted and can make folks pay.
Defensively, Blake Baker’s unit was dominant in week one at Clemson. The Tigers are really good at all three levels of the defense. What sets this group apart from the last couple of seasons in which a ‘typical’ LSU defense hasn’t always been on the field?
Personnel. That’s the main thing for me and others who watched on Saturday. The Tigers loaded up at all levels in the portal, and it paid off big time last week. Harold Perkins settled into the STAR role and was an absolute menace against Clemson, which has helped settle things down across the board. It’s really as simple as that, though. Upgrading the talent of this unit has allowed Baker to have the tools at his disposal to deploy a group that showed shades of the past when it comes to LSU defense.
What are a couple of keys to the game for the Tigers and a score prediction?
The keys to me start with establishing the run game early. LSU fans want to see a dominant performance on the ground from the offensive line and the running backs, because it’s something that Tiger fans never saw against any of their opponents last year. Last Saturday was a good showing given the opponent, but LSu fans will want to see more conviction with the Bulldogs coming to town. The second key is the pass rush. LSU is going to bring pressure, but getting home a few times will rattle an offense on the road. I know the Bulldogs struggled to get things kick-started last week, and Baker will be pushing his group to keep them out of the endzone for the duration of the game.
FINAL SCORE: LSU 52, La Tech 10
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