41 Points: 41 Takeaways

The LSU football team moved to 9-2 on the season with a 41-10 win over UAB on Saturday night.

The win sent the veterans out in style on Senior Day, and it keeps the Tigers on track for a potential spot in the College Football Playoffs.

The Tigers entered the weekend ranked No. 6, and while a number of top teams struggled, it was No. 5 Tennessee that fell victim to a loss.

With a road trip to Texas A&M next weekend to close out the regular season, and a spot in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game against Georgia in two weeks, LSU’s most important games are still to be played.

But first, let’s rewind.

Here are 41 takeaways from LSU’s win over the Blazers.

1… Let’s start this one off with the reality for not just the players on both sides, but those who sat in the stands as well. The temperature at kickoff was in the low 40s, and rain was steady across the first quarter. It wasn’t the freezing temperatures LSU dealt with a week ago in Fayetteville, but it was certainly the most unpleasant elements the Tigers had been up against at home this season. And it didn’t seem to matter.

2… On Senior Night, LSU sent off 17 players – which included a group filled with Tigers who had won a National Championship in 2019, gone through the down years in 2020 and 2021, then returned for a final season under first-year head coach Brian Kelly in 2022. Here’s the list of the 17 seniors.

S Todd Harris Jr.
LB Mike Jones Jr.
WR Jaray Jenkins
CB Colby Richardson
DE Ali Gaye
CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
LB Hunter Faust
K Trey Finnison
TE MJ Frazier
LB Jared Small
TE Nick Storz
WR Evan Francioni
LB Micah Baskerville
OT Cam Wire
S Joe Foucha
CB Mekhi Garner
S Jay Ward

3… LSU was without four notable players in the game against the Blazers. Starting running back Josh Williams and backup running back Armoni Goodwin were both ruled out before kickoff, as was starting center Charles Turner. Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte participated in warmups, but didn’t see game action.

4… LSU fans wanted to see the offense get rolling out of the gates, and the Tigers did just that. After Jayden Daniels hit Malik Nabers for a quick gain on the opening snap, the pair connected on a deep ball that went for 47 yards and led to the opening touchdown.

5… The Tigers did just the same on the second drive. This time, it was big gains in the passing game to both Jack Bech and Jaray Jenkins that set up another chance to punch the ball in from inside the 5-yard line. With UAB finding points early, it was key the Tigers started fast.

6… The momentum on offense should have continued on the third drive, and it appeared the Tigers were set to score 21 points on the first three drives. But after getting into the red zone, running back John Emery Jr. fumbled the football and UAB recovered. Ball security issues have always loomed over Emery during his time in purple-and-gold, so it wasn’t a great moment for the senior on a night when the Tigers wanted to lean on him with two other running backs sidelined.

7… LSU running back John Emery Jr. did score the first touchdown of the game on two-yard run on the opening possession, but it was backup running back Noah Cain who stepped up to deliver the next three scores in the first half. Cain carried the ball seven times for 24 yards in the first half, while Emery logged six carries for 24 yards.

8… Take a bow out of the gates, No. 8. With Kayshon Boutte sidelined, wide receiver Malik Nabers exploded for five catches and 111 yards in the first half. Nabers finished the game with seven catches for 129 yards.

9… UAB was looking for points just before halftime, but LSU’s defense stepped up to force a turnover on downs near midfield – which gave the offense a chance to steal another quick touchdown before half. The Tigers had already forced a three-and-out following John Emery’s fumble in the red zone. While LSU had given up 10 points across the first 15 minutes, the lone touchdown came after the Blazers returned the kickoff 66 yards to LSU’s 30-yard line.

10… It was good to see freshman tight end Mason Taylor involved early. After helping lift LSU to a win over Alabama, Taylor didn’t have a catch a week ago. In the first half against UAB, Taylor caught all three of his targets for 39 yards and a near touchdown that was called down inside the 1-yard line.

11… One thing that might have been overlooked in that first half was one of the biggest talking points all week. UAB’s DeWayne McBride is No. 1 in the NCAA in rushing yards per game (156.3) and No. 2 in rushing TD per game (17). In the first half against the Tigers: 5 carries, 13 yards, 1 TD. McBride finished the game with 13 carries for 34 yards. For LSU to hold the nation’s top producing running back to 2.6 yards per carry and fewer than 40 yards is impressive.

12… It was also a very efficient first half for LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. And after he struggled on the road to finish with fewer than 100 yards passing in the win over Arkansas, it was the quick bounce back he needed. Daniels was 15-for-19 passing for 229 yards, adding 78 rushing yards to help set up al four of the rushing touchdowns by the running backs.

13… The most notable news out of the gates in the second half: a proposal on the field in between possessions resulted in a “yes”.

14… LSU’s defense was solid coming out of the locker room, forcing UAB into three-and-outs on the first two offensive possessions. Kudos to LSU defensive coordinator Matt House, who has been great with halftime adjustments all season.

15… One player who has quietly turned in a strong season is transfer cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse, who joined the team out of Oklahoma State. He’s spent time at both cornerback and safety for LSU this season, and he had some solid moments against the Blazers when the game was still in contention.

16… It was at about this point in the game that things went final in South Carolina as the Gamecocks knocked off No. 5 Tennessee. And not only did USC win, but they ran away with it against the Volunteers. After a 63-38 loss, the Volunteers dropped to 9-2 on the year. With Georgia set to play LSU in the SEC Championship, any playoff hopes Tennessee had are all but dashed. It also means LSU is likely to move into the Top 5 of the CFB Playoff Rankings.

17… While we’re at it, did you know just how crazy Saturday nearly was? No. 1 Georgia only beat Kentucky 16-6. No. 2 Ohio State was caught in a tight game with Maryland, ultimately pulling away for the 43-30 win. No. 3 Michigan needed a go-ahead field goal with nine second left to beat Illinois, and No. 4 TCU needed a go-ahead field goal as time expired to beat Baylor. In the end, Tennessee was the lone Top 5 team to fall, but it nearly turned into all-out mayhem had the No. 3 and No. 4 ranked teams not found a way to kick game-winning field goals in the final moments.

18… LSU running back John Emery Jr.’s ball security issues popped up again to start the fourth quarter. After a 14-yard run, UAB forced the ball loose and recovered it for the second time in the game. Emery has some natural talent at the running back spot, but his ball security has been a glaring issue on a number of occasions.

19… The Tigers actually kept starting quarterback Jayden Daniels in the game longer than most expected. Even up 34-10 to start the fourth quarter, Daniels was still in at quarterback. After hitting Brian Thomas Jr. for a touchdown with 9:46 left on the clock, the Tigers went up 41-10 and Daniels was done for the day.

20… Daniels turned the ball over to Garrett Nussmeier with eight minutes left in the game, and it was just what the doctor ordered for LSU’s starting quarterback following a rough showing at Arkansas. One week later, Daniels combined for 408 total yards. He finished 22-for-29 passing for 297 yards and a touchdown while adding 111 rushing yards and a score on the ground. With no turnovers, it was a great night for LSU’s starter.

21… LSU safety Derrick Davis Jr. turned in 24 yards on four carries late in the game, which were his first touches on offense since getting to college. For those that don’t know, Davis rushed for 1,507 yards and scored 28 total touchdowns during his senior year of high school in Pennsylvania.

22… Following the win, LSU head coach Brian Kelly said running back Armoni Goodwin would miss the remainder of the season with an injury.

23… With Goodwin no longer part of the running back rotation, the Tigers will turn to Josh Williams, Noah Cain, John Emery and – perhaps – Davis.

24… Brian Kelly said starting running back Josh Williams sat out of the game to rest up following a 100-plus yard effort a week ago at Arkansas that left him banged up. He’s expected to return for the regular season finale against Texas A&M next weekend.

25… LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was battling the flu and had been out of practices since Wednesday. Boutte went through pregame warmups, but was unable to suit up and play in the game. All expectations are he will return to practice this week and be ready for the Aggies.

26… LSU’s defense gave up a TD on a short field and then a FG on the first two defensive drives. The rest of UAB’s drives?

Punt

Turnover on downs

Punt

Punt

Punt

Turnover on downs

Punt

Punt

Turnover on downs

27… When I asked Brian Kelly after the game about what makes LSU defensive coordinator Matt House elite, he circled two things: in-game and halftime adjustments. And for fans who’ve tuned it, both strengths have been evident this season. In Kelly’s words, House is “always one step ahead”.

28… LSU linebacker Greg Penn III led LSU with eight tackles (five solo) and a tackle for loss, which is another strong outing after his best game of the year a week ago at Arkansas. After the game, Penn talked about the mental progress being key to his development in Year 2. Early in the season, Penn said he was down on himself for not living up to the expectations set. Now, he’s buckled in, delivered a lot more consistency and feels like he’s beginning to take his game to another level.

29… No shocker here. Who led the Tigers in tackles for loss? Freshman linebacker Harold Perkins, who turned in a pair of stops behind the line of scrimmage in a game when UAB’s offense wasn’t on the field very often.

30… The lone sack of the night went to senior Ali Gaye, who has turned into one of the team’s captains after battling through highs and lows during his time in Baton Rouge after transferring in from junior college.

31… LSU finished the night with 565 yards on offense, and the Tigers held the Blazers to 259 yards and just one touchdown. And the offense was balanced with 299 passing yards and 266 rushing yards. The defense also followed up the opening 10 points allowed with nine straight stops that led to punts or a turnover on downs.

32… How efficient was LSU’s offense? The 41 points are nice, as are the 31 first downs. But finishing 11-for-13 on third downs might be the most impressive stat.

33… It should be noted that for the first time this season, Brian Kelly named a walk-on as the captain on offense. That honor belonged to wide receiver Evan Francioni, a Rummel graduate who appeared in five games and won a National Championship in 2019, appeared in seven games during the COVID-shortened season in 2020, and then logged double-digit appearances a year ago. And it’s clear he made the transition from the Ed Orgeron to Brian Kelly era smoothly. He’s been a mainstay on special teams this season, and for years, he’s been talked up as a very impressive receiver in practice.

34… It was a positive to see sophomore Jack Bech get involved. He entered the game with 10 catches for 81 yards and a touchdown on the season. On Saturday night against the Blazers, Bech caught three of his four targets for 61 yards – the second-most receiving yards behind Malik Nabers.

35… The impressive stretch of November results continued for Brian Kelly. Now, Kelly’s teams have won 19 straight November games. If the Tigers can beat Texas A&M, Kelly will have won every November game he’s coached over the past five seasons.

36… The number 30 is still a key one for LSU. The Tigers have won the past 13 games when scoring 30 points or more.

37… October 8. That was the last time LSU lost a football game, which came in a home loss to Tennessee. The Tigers are now riding a five-game win streak with victories over Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas and UAB.

38… Did you know there are only two quarterbacks in college football with at least 2,000 passing yards and 700 rushing yards? LSU’s Jayden Daniels is one, while UCF’s John Rhys Plumlee is the other. Daniels currently ranks in the top three nationally in rushing touchdowns (11) by a quarterback.

39… LSU offensive lineman Garrett Dellinger returned to the field after missing multiple games with an injury. Dellinger rotated in at left guard, sharing time with starter Miles Frazier.

40… The Tigers only punted one time on Saturday night. And as he’s done all year, punter Jay Bramblett delivered with a 44-yard punt that was downed inside the 20-yard line.

41… This doesn’t happen often, but let’s wrap up with a recruiting note. During the game, the Tigers landed a commitment… During the first half, New Orleans 2024 defensive back Wallace Foster went public with his commitment to the Tigers. LSU has 8 commitments and a Top 10 class in the early stages of the 2024 cycle.